


A Vision of Shadows Novella - Honeytail's Loss

by Dasharoodledoo



Series: Warriors— Vision of Shadows [4]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: I'm Bad At Tagging, SkyClan (Warriors), StarClan (Warriors), The Kin (Warriors), sorry lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:40:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27824656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dasharoodledoo/pseuds/Dasharoodledoo
Summary: Maxie’s smile widened and she got to her paws. “Okay! I can meet you back here in a few days, my owners don’t like letting me out when it’s snowy, so we’ll have to wait.”“Okay, I’ll meet you when the snow starts to melt.” She watched Maxie hop back over the fence and sighed, slumping over. What am I getting myself into?-----A novella for my AVoS rewrite.My tumblr (where I put some headcanons and stuff) is A-Vision-Of-Shadows-Rewrite
Series: Warriors— Vision of Shadows [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1087233
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	1. Allegiances

**Allegiances**

**SkyClan**  
**Leader** Leafstar — brown-and-cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
**Deputy** Sharpclaw — dark ginger tom with green eyes  
**Medicine Cat(s)** Echosong — beautiful silver tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Frecklewish — mottled brown tabby she-cat with freckles on her face

 **Warriors** Sparrowheart — dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Shrewtooth — black moggy with yellow eyes

Waspwhisker — gray-and-white tom with yellow eyes

Ebonyclaw — striking black she-cat with amber eyes and folded ears (daylight warrior)

Fallowfern — pale brown she-cat; deaf

Billystorm — ginger-and-white tabby tom

Harveymoon — white moggy (daylight warrior)

MacGyver — black-and-white tom (daylight warrior)

Rockshade — fluffy black moggy with amber eyes

Bouncefire — very fluffy ginger tabby tom

Egg — flame-point moggy with blue eyes

Sagenose — pale gray tom with very pale stripes

Mintstem — gray tabby moggy with blue eyes and a curled tail

Nettlesplash — pale brown tabby moggy

Rabbitleap — brown tabby tom with a short tail

Plumwillow — dark gray she-cat

Creekfeather — gray tabby with dark stripes

Sandynose — stocky, pale ginger tom with a darker tabby ginger face, nose, tail, and paws

Honeytail — pale ginger she-cat with long fur

Birdwing — pale gray she-cat with a black face, nose, tail, and paws

Firefern — ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes

Solbrook — brown-and-cream tabby tom with amber green eyes

Stormheart — cream tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes   
Apprentice, Mistpaw (gray tom with amber eyes)

Bellaleaf — pale orange-and-white she-cat with green eyes

Rileypool — pale gray tabby moggy with dark gray stripes and blue eyes

**Queens** Cherrytail — dilute calico tabby she-cat with green eyes

Tinycloud — small white she-cat with green eyes

**Kits** Hawkkit — dark gray tom with yellow eyes (Cherrytail and Sharpclaw’s kit)

Duskkit — ginger tabby tom with white spots (Cherrytail and Sharpclaw’s kit)

Bloomkit — calico she-cat with dark green eyes (Cherrytail and Sharpclaw’s kit)

Cloudkit — mostly-white dilute calico she-cat (Cherrytail and Sharpclaw’s kit)

**Elders** Tangle - very old light brown tabby with matted fur and a graying muzzle

Patchfoot — black-and-white tom with green eyes

Clovertail — light brown tabby she-cat with a white belly and legs

Petalnose — pale gray she-cat with green and blue eyes

**Cats Outside of the Clans**

Maxie — black-and-white she-cat with odd, curly fur

Snuff — gray-and-white she-cat with curly fur

Ember — light brown bengal tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

Midnight — black bengal tabby tom with green eyes

Casper — old, white tom with blue eyes; deaf


	2. Chapter One

Snowy winds made Shivers run up and down Honeytail’s pine, her teeth chattering. This Leafbare was the coldest SkyClan had ever experienced. The mouse she chewed on was scrawny and stringy, but she ate it nonetheless. They couldn’t afford to waste prey at this time of year, especially in snow so cold. Plus, most of the prey went to the queens and the sick cats. Echosong and Frecklewish had their paws full because of the greencough that swept through the camp. Every cat was careful not to be around the sick cats, even the medicine cats were nervous they’d catch it.

As she chewed thoughtfully with her sister, Birdwing, she watched Sharpclaw send out patrols. When she finished her mouse, she sat up and groomed herself.

“Plumwillow, Sparrowheart, and Waspwhisker, you three head near the Twolegplace to hunt,” he meowed and they nodded.

Just before they left, Honeytail bounded over to them. “I can come as well,” she meowed, shaking out her semi-wet fur. “I’ve been lazing around today, I need to stretch my legs.”

“You can go too, then,” Sharpclaw meowed and he turned to pad into the nursery as Honeytail and the others made their way out of camp. Honeytail purred. Sharpclaw’s kits were born in Leaffall and were growing quickly. The four kits were definitely like their mother, mischievous and playful, however, one of them, Hawkkit, resembled his father more, despite his gray coat. Still, he was a kit and kits played and messed around and annoyed warriors. It wasn’t every moon that a deputy had kits. Everyone was excited and coddled them endlessly.

Honeytail followed the others toward the Twolegplace when they got out of camp. The trees were bare from the snow and the forest seemed empty. Honeytail’s ears perked when she saw the Twolegplace. She’d always been interested in it. MacGyver told stories about being a kittypet and, though Honeytail couldn’t imagine being one herself, she found it peaceful.

“Plumwillow, Honeytail,” Sparrowheart snapped the ginger warrior out of her thoughts. “You two hunt near the Twolepace, we’ll head toward the river. Meet us back here when you’re finished.” The warriors split up and Plumwillow followed Honeytail toward the fence that surrounded the barn. The snow crunched underneath their paws as they walked.

Plumwillow’s ears perked and she crouched down. She stalked forward, toward one of the bushes. When she was close enough, she wiggled her hindquarters and leaped in. Honeytail heard a squeal, and Plumwillow came out with a vole in her jaws.

“Nice catch,” Honeytail meowed, sniffing at the prey.

“This should feed the sick cats,” Plumwillow meowed, setting it down and scratching the dirt over it.

“How’re you and Sandynose doing?” Honeytail asked as they began walking again. She knew Plumwillow and Sandynose, Honeytail’s brother, were thinking of kits before the cold hit. Plumwillow was upset, but ultimately decided it’d be for the best that they didn’t have kits. Honeytail agreed with her mother, Fallowfern, who said the two were still too young to be having kits, anyway.

“Fine,” Plumwillow meowed. “We’re both still a little sad, but what can you do?”

Honeytail nudged her friend. “Don’t worry,” she meowed, blinking at her. “You’ll still have kits soon enough.”

Plumwillow smiled at her. “I hope so. I’ve wanted kits for so long.” She padded up to one of the trees and sank her claws into the bark. She climbed up to one of the branches. “Are you coming?”

“No, I saw a mouse nest near the barn fence. I’ll go hunt there, meet you back with Sparrowheart and Waspwhisker.” Plumwillow nodded at her and with one last “Good luck,” she bounded away from one tree to another with her lithe legs. Honeytail watched her until she disappeared and made her way to the fence. She’d seen the nest a few days before, but there were no mice. She hoped there were some now. When she reached the tiny bundle of twigs and leaves, she sniffed at it.  _ Mousedung, _ she huffed to herself. No mice today either.

Her ears perked when she heard tiny paws scuttling against the frozen earth. She saw a gray body, nibbling on a seed only a few tail-lengths away from her. Crouching down, Honeytail began creeping towards it, careful not to step on any twigs or crunchy leaves. Once she got close enough, she bunched up her muscles and leaped forward. The mouse squealed when she landed on it and killed it. She purred, proud of herself, as she picked the fresh-kill up.

“Nice catch!”

Honeytail jolted and whipped around to see a black-and-white cat sitting on the fence behind her. Her fur was curly, unlike any cat she’d ever seen before. Honeytail bristled, stepping away. Since Sol left their camp, Leafstar warned her warriors to be wary around loners and rogues. She wasn’t as quick to let cats in her Clan anymore nowadays, unlike when she’d let cats like MacGyver and Harveymoon in. She relaxed when she saw the collar around the cat’s neck. Just a kittypet.

  
  


“What are you doing here?” Honeytail asked, dropping her prey. No one lived in this barn anymore, not even Twolegs. It must have been because of the rat infestation. Still, even the rats left the barn alone now, leaving the place empty and eerie.

“Exploring,” the kittypet meowed.

“Well, you better not step on our territory,” Honeytail meowed.

The kittypet blinked as if surprised. “Are you part of that gang that lives in the gorge?” she asked.

Honeytail couldn’t help but snort a small laugh. “We’re not a gang, we’re a Clan,” she corrected the kittypet. “My name’s Honeytail, I’m a SkyClan cat.”

“I’m Maxie.” The kittypet smiled at her. She was cute, for a kittypet. She looked a lot like MacGyver with her black-and-white fur, but she was much shorter.

“Well, you should be more careful around the SkyClan border,” Honeytail told her. “We used to be pretty welcoming of kittypets, but nowadays we’re pretty wary.”  _ And you probably have no idea how to protect yourself. _

Maxie nodded. She was shifting from paw to paw, excited. “I’ve heard a lot about you cats,” she meowed. “My sister wanders around here from time to time and tells me about you. But I’ve never strayed this far from my house, though. I was pretty surprised when you caught that mouse. I stalk birds in my backyard, but I’ve never caught one.” Her amber eyes lit up. “Can you teach me how?”

“I can’t now,” Honeytail meowed. “I have to keep hunting. Leafbare is a hard time for us.”

“I can help you hunt.”

“We better not. Leafstar wouldn’t be happy if she caught me with a kittypet.”

Maxie looked confused but didn’t question warrior. “Well can you teach me later? When you’re not hunting for your Clan.”

Honeytail shuffled her paws, then shrugged. No cat would find out if they were being discreet, right? “Let me think about it,” she meowed.

“Alright!” Maxie’s eyes were shining with excitement. “I’ll meet you back here at sundown, okay?”

Honeytail flicked her tail to her, picked up her mouse, and padded away from the barn.

\-------

Honeytail padded toward the gorge. Along with the mouse she caught before she met Maxie, she also caught a bird, lucky during these cold moons. Still, it wasn’t much, and the other warriors weren’t so lucky Plumwillow only had her vole, and Sparrowheart and Waspwhisker only caught a mouse and a scrawny squirrel respectively.

  
  


“We should bring our prey to the sick cats,” Waspwhisker meowed when they reached home. Their ears perked when a yowl sounded from camp. They rushed down to the rockpile and Honeytail gasped when she saw Rockshade’s limp body in the middle of a ragged circle of her Clanmates.

“What happened?” Honeytail asked Birdwing as she approached her. Birdwing was leaning into her mate, Sagenose. Rochshade had been their mate as well, along with Stormheart, whose eyes were hollow with grief. Sympathy for her sister swamped Honeytail. She already knew the answer.

“Greencough,” Birdwing meowed.

“I knew he was sick,” Sagenose murmured, choking a bit, “but I never expected  _ this _ .”

“And Ebonyclaw is sick as well.” Birdwing looked at the medicine den. Hoenytaill’s fur prickled. Ebonyclaw and her mate, Tinycloud, were having kits. Tinycloud was close to kitting, too. She prayed Ebonyclaw would be able to watch her kits grow.

Cherrytail and Sharpclaw’s kits poked their heads through the nursery entrance. “What’s going on?” Duskkit asked.

“Is Rockshade okay?” Hawkwing murmured, looking at his mother.

Sharpclaw nudged his kits back into the nursery. “It’s time for you four to take a nap,” he meowed. “Let’s not bother the others. “The kits whined but obeyed their father.  _ Please don’t let the kits get sick,  _ Honeytail thought.  _ I don’t think we could bear it. _

Leafstar jumped up onto the rockpile. “Everything is going to be alright,” she meowed. “Losing a Clanmate is hard, especially for his family and friends.” She blinked at Tinycloud and Bouncefire, who stared at their brother’s body with glassy eyes. “But SkyClan has suffered through sickness before, we’ll get through it again.” Her warriors murmured in agreement. “We’ll sit vigil for Rockshade tonight, and the senior warriors will bury him.”

As Rocksahde’s mates and siblings circled him, Waspwhisker nudged Honeytail. “Let’s bring the prey to the sick cats,” he murmured. Honeytail nodded and picked up her prey, along with Sparrowheart and Plumwillow’s. They padded into the medicine den, and Honeytail cringed at the smell inside. The warriors and elders inside weren’t able to groom themselves, and Echosong and Frecklewish cautioned cats from doing it for them, fearing they’d catch the greencough as well.

“Good afternoon,” Echosong meowed, blinking at the warriors. “Thank you for bringing them prey. I would have grabbed some from the fresh-kill, but we’re both so swamped making sure these cats get well again.”

“Of course. Don’t worry about a thing,” Waspwhisker meowed as he set the prey down in front of Tangle.

Honeytail gave her mouse to Petalnose. “Thank you,” the elder rasped. She took a bite of the mouse, cringing as she swallowed.  _ Her throat must be sore. _ Honeytail gave Petalnose a sympathetic look.

“Do you need help eating it?” Waspwhisker asked Tangle, and they nodded. The old at’s teeth were gone by now. But the warriors were happy to help them out. “Honeytail I’ll take care of this. You go.”

Honeytail nodded and gave the bird and the vole to MacGyver and Ebonyclaw. “Thank you,” Ebonyclaw meowed. “We really appreciate this.” The other sick cats agreed. “OI wish I could hunt for myself. I hate feeling like a burden.”

“No cat thinks you’re a burden,” Honeytail assured her. “Eat up. You’ll need your strength.” Honeytail waved her tail in goodbye before leaving the den. She glanced at the sky. She could barely see the sun behind the gray clouds, but she could tell it was nearly sunhigh. The clouds threatened more snow. It had been snowing nearly every day since the half-moon. SkyClan didn’t need any more of the cold.

Bushing out her fur to keep herself warm, Honeytail padded toward the fresh-kill pile. Frecklewish was already there, sniffing at the small amount of prey. “Hello,” Honeytail meowed. She grabbed a squirrel. “Do you want to share?”

Frecklewish blinked at the warrior. “That’d be great.” They sat under a rock ledge, huddling close together to keep warm. They each took a few bites of the squirrel.

“How are he sick cats doing?” Honeytail asked.

Frecklewish lowered her head. “Tangle is much too old to fight this off,” she meowed. “They haven’t been sleeping well either, tossing and turning in their nest, and eating is hard as ever.”

“Are they going to be okay?” Honeytail felt anxious when frecklewish flattened her ears.

“I can’t say for sure,” Frecklewish murmured.

Honeytail’s heart ached. She’d known Tangle since she was a kit. They lived for so long in SkyClan, and pulled their weight so much, even as an elder. Honeytail would miss them so much. She looked up at the clouds.  _ I wonder what Maxie is doing, _ she thought. It must be so much easier to be a kittypet. She didn’t have to deal with this much loss.

_ Maybe I  _ will  _ visit her, _ she thought. She needed to keep her mind off of the sick cats.  _ I’ll see if I cat visit her at moonrise. _

\--------

Honeytail looked around to make sure no cats were following as she climbed out of camp. She padded through the forest, toward the Twoleg barn, her heart thumping when she saw a night patrol a few foxlengths away. She crouched and stayed silent as they passed, praying they wouldn’t smell her. When they disappeared, Honeytail continued on her way. Her ears perked when she saw a cat sitting on the barn fence. The cat’s eyes lit up as she approached her. “Hello!” Maxie called. “I thought you wouldn’t come tonight.”

Honeytail purred at her excitement. “Do you still want to hunt with me?”

“Yes!” Maxie leaped down in front of her.

“There might not be that many mice because of the cold, but it won’t hurt to try.”

Honeytail and Maxie padded into the forest. Honeytail wasn’t the best at night hunting, but she wouldn’t let that get in her way. “Okay, the first thing you want to do is learn the hunting crouch.” Honeytail showed the kittypet how, and Maxie tried to mirror her. “Just a bit lower. That’s perfect.”

Maxie blinked. “It’s a bit awkward isn’t it?”

“It won’t be as time goes on,” Honeytail promised. “Now try stalking forward-” Honeytail dropped into a crouch as well “-and be wary of stepping on twigs.”

Maxie did as she was told, stalking forward with Honeytail beside her. “Hey, this is pretty easy.” she lowered herself more, wiggled her hindquarters, and leaped forward. She gasped as she slipped on the icy earth, and Honeytail couldn’t suppress a laugh.

“Never pounce blindly.” She helped Maxie up. “But that was good. You’d make a good Clan cat.” Maxie smiled at her and shaking out her fur. “Come on, let’s find a mouse.” She led Maxie through the forest, alert for any signs of prey. The first few mice she tried to catch ran off, but on her fourth try, she was finally able to catch one. She held the mouse up and she puffed out her chest with pride. “Nice catch!” Honeytail bounded over to her, sniffing at the prey.

“Can I eat it?”

Honeytail cringed. She was hoping to bring their catches home for the sick cats.  _ Eating one mouse won’t harm any cat.  _ “Sure, let’s share.”

Maxie took the first bite and her eyes lit up. “This is great!” she meowed, hastily taking a few more bites from it.

“You’ve never had a mouse before?” Honeytail asked, surprised. She thought kittypets would get fat with all the mice that ran around the Twolegplace. She took a few bites from the mouse as well but pushed the rest toward Maxie when guilt ate at her.

“No. My housefolk get made when Snuff, my sister, and I take home mice,” Maxie mumbled through her mouthful of prey. Honeytail snorted.  _ Twolegs are birdbrains.  _ Maxie licked her lips when she swallowed. “I usually eat the food my owners bring home.”

Honeytail had heard of the hard pellets kittypets ate from MacGyver, Harveymoon, and Ebonyclaw. Ebonyclaw said she didn’t like it as much as prey but she ate it anyway. Honeytail wondered if, after the kits were born, Ebonyclaw would become a full-time warrior. She never asked her about it, though, worried it might be a sensitive subject. “Is it good?”

“It’s not as good as this mouse, but I’ve never had a problem eating it. Except for the time Snuff got sick because of something that was in it.” The mouse was gone now and Maxie groomed her face. Her curly fur only bounced back to normal when she ran her paw over it. “I’ve never gotten sick from, though. Do you want to try some?”

Honeytail flattened her ears. She’d always been repulsed by the idea of kittypet food, but she was also curious about what it tasted. Harveymoon told her a few seasons back that it didn’t taste  _ bad _ but the texture was weird.  _ Plus _ , she thought,  _ my Clanmates are starving right now. Would it be selfish? _ She forced a smile, still hesitant. “Sure, I’ll try it.”

Maxie’s smile widened and she got to her paws. “Okay! I can meet you back here in a few days, my owners don’t like letting me out when it’s snowy, so we’ll have to wait.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you when the snow starts to melt.” She watched Maxie hop back over the fence and sighed, slumping over.  _ What am I getting myself into? _


	3. Chapter Two

Honeytail’s ears perked when she heard squealing outside the warriors’ den. She lifted her head groggily and yawned, stretching her limbs, which were achy from sleep. She poked her head out of her den to see Cherrytail and Sharpclaw watching their kits tumbling around the floor of the camp. Her heart began to race when she saw the snow was beginning to melt.  _ This means I’ll be able to see Maxie again. _

It had been five sunrises since she’d hunted with Maxie. Since then, Waspwhisker had fallen sick as well. Everyone was still grieving the loss of Rockshade, especially his mother, Clovertail. She was lazing around camp most of the time, the complete opposite of her usual self. Sagenose wasn’t eating as much and was barely going out on patrols. Birdwing and Stormheart had to bring him prey and groom his fur. Honeytail’s heart ached for them and prayed that they’d get better every night.

Honeytail padded out of the den, tasting the air. The taste of frost was beginning to fade, but Newleaf was still a moon away. She sighed, envying Maxie, who was probably in her nest, curled up and warm.

The kits were hunting tufts of moss, batting it across the dusty earth, while their parents groomed themselves. Cloudkit pounced forward, her long legs outstretched, and landed right on top of it. Honeytail purred as the kit’s eyes widened and she turned to her father with unmasked excitement. She approached the family and blinked at them. “Good morning,” she meowed. “That was a great catch, Cloudkit.”

The calico kitten licked her chest at the praise. “We’re getting ready to become apprentices!” Hawkwkit shouted. “Dad says we’re going to make the best hunters.”

“I’m gonna be the best out of all of us,” Duskkit purred, glaring at his brother. Hawkkit sniffed and leaped on top of his brother, rolling in the dust. Honeytail purred as she watched the two play-fight, batting at each other’s head with sheathed claws.

“What do you need?” Sharpclaw asked with an exasperated sigh.

“I was just telling you I was going out to hunt.”

Sharpclaw hummed. “It’s cold today, are you sure?”

“Yes, I need to warm up anyway.” She fluffed up her fur, pretending to be chilly. “My nest was cold last night.”

“Very well.” Sharpclaw flicked his tail to her. “Stay safe, though. Keep away from the river, you might fall in.”

“I will. See you later.”

“I want to come!” Duskkit shouted, shaking his brother off him.

“Me too!” Cloudkit ran up to Honeytail. The kit was nearly as big as her, in fact, she was just as tall as Cherrytail. “I want to hunt with Honeytail!”

“Now, now, kits,” Cherrytail purred, her voice silky, “you know you’re too young to leave camp. You’ll be leaving the nursery soon enough, don’t you worry.” She nudges her kits away from Honeytail, giving her an apologetic glance. Her kittens whined but didn’t object. 

As she began padding up the steep ledges along the gorge wall, Honeytail saw Tinycloud and Bouncefire sharing tongues not too far away. She hopped down next to them, blinking at Tinycloud, who was round with kits. “How’s nursery life?” Honeytail asked, sitting and wrapping her tail around her paws.

Tinycloud sighed. Honeytail noticed her eyes were round, as if scared. “It’s fine. It was better with Ebonyclaw.” She lowered her head. “I miss her every day she’s in the medicine den. And Echosong and Frecklewish won’t let me see her because I might get sick. I just wish she never caught whitecough in the first place.”

“At least it’s  _ just  _ whitecough,” Bouncefire meowed. “You remember how bad Rockshade got. They were suffering for so long.” He shivered.

“Yes, I’m sure Frecklewish and Echosong will get her back on her paws soon,” Honeytail promised.

“I pray for that every night.” Tinycloud lay her head on her paws and Honeytail’s heart ached.  _ Poor Tinycloud. _ She stepped back, deciding Tinycloud needs some time with just her brother, and began to climb the wall again. She padded away from the gorge, toward the Twolegplace. The gray, leafless trees made Honeytail feel unprotected. She couldn’t wait for the leaves to grow back, so she could be comfortable hunting in the trees again. This fear of being attacked crept up on her every Leafbare. It made her have to unsheathe her claws and be ready for anything to leap out of the bushes.

Her ears perked when she saw a few cats heading toward the gorge. She recognized Egg, Fallowfern, and Creekfeather. They seemed to be on dawn patrol and were coming home late. They had prey in their jaws. Egg saw her as well. They waved their tail to her. “Hello!” they called. “What’re you doing? Are you with a hunting patrol?”

“No, I’m just stretching my legs,” Honeytail lied.

Fallowfern blinked at her, bringing her left paw to her muzzle and unsheathing her claws on her right paw before pointing to Honeytail. Honeytail could tell what she was trying to say: “We’ll save some prey for you.” The senior warrior didn’t talk much now that her hearing was gone, but, when she did, her speech was slurred and slow.

Honeytail perked her ears and twitched them at Fallowfern. “You three stay warm,” she meowed, continuing on her way. She reached the barn fence and hopped up. She waited for Maxie patiently. The sun was climbing in the sky and Hnoneytail was getting antsy.  _ Maybe her Twolegs think it’s too snowy to go out. _

She padded up the shiny fence toward the wood fences that surrounded the Twolegplace, wondering if Maxie was waiting for her there. Her ears perked when she saw movement in one of the buses in the Twoelgplace. A light brown tabby with spots along her side jumped out of the bush, shaking out her fur. Honeytail’s heart sank. She jumped down from the fence and approached the cat. “Hello,” she meowed and the tabby jumped, unsheathing her claws. “Do you know Maxie? I’m looking for her>”

The tabby didn’t answer her questions, he only gave Honeytail a scrutinizing stare. “What’s a cat like you doing in the Twolegplace?” she sniffed, her tailtip twitching.

“Looking for Maxie,” Honeytail repeated. “Have you seen her? She’s a friend.” Honeytail rolled her eyes when the kittypet looked her up and down, suspicious. “If I want to attack you I would’ve done it by now. Can you just tell me if you know her?”

The kittypet blinked. “Yeah, I know Maxie. She lives across the street from me. Come on, I’ll bring you to her.”

Honeytail followed the tabby into the Twolegplace. It felt claustrophobic, being surrounded by all these large nests. Honeytail’s fur prickled down her spine. This was worse than being in a forest with no leaves. The tabby led Honeytail to a small Twoleg nest with a shiny fence around it, just like the one around the barn. They went around the back of it and hopped over into a field in the back. The grass was long back here and a few bugs crawled around here and there. There was a big cherry tree that grew near the fence with a few bushes surrounding it

“This is where Maxie lives?”

“Yep, just wait until she comes out here.” The tabby pointed to the entrance of the den. “She’ll come out of there.” The kittypet flicked her tail to Honeytail before hopping back over the fence and disappearing.

Honeytail lay down, waiting for Maxie. Her paws were tingling with excitement. She’d missed Maxie these past few days, and since they departed that night, Honeytail had been anticipating their next meeting. Her ears perked when Maxie hopped out of a flap in the side of the den. She got to her paws and bounded over to the kittypet. “Hello!” she called, touching Maxie’s cheek with her nose.

Maxie smiled and nuzzled her. “It’s good to see you,” she purred. “I was just about to head to the bar fence. What are you doing here?”

“I was worried you weren’t coming”

“Sorry I was late.” Maxie brushed her muzzle across Honeytail’s chin before turning. “Come inside, it’s cold.” She jumped through the flap. Honeytail hesitated but she followed the kitten in. the den was warm and small much smaller than she expected. “Are you hungry?”

“A little.” Honeytail was led to two shiny bowls, seemingly made of the same stuff as the fence around the barn. One of them had small, brown pellets inside and the other had water. It took Honeytail a moment to realize the brown pellets were kittypet food. They weren’t what she imagined. She sniffed at them and reared back, wrinkling her nose. “They smell weird.”

Maxie laughed. “I know, but they taste good.”

Honeytail took a few into her mouth and crunched down on them. She didn’t like that they were crunched. It was as if she was eating a mouse but only the skeleton. Still, they tasted okay.

“I like the taste of wet food better,” Maxie meowed, “but they give me stomach aches so my housefolk don’t give it to me anymore. Come on, let me show you around. Honeytail scanned the small area.  _ Around? What else is there to see?  _ Still, she followed Maxie. The kittypet brought her to another area of the den, where a white cat lay stretched out in a patch of sun.

Honeytail’s ears perked when she saw him. “Hey, I know you.” She blinked at the tom as he raised his head. He flicked his tail to her in greeting.

Maxie looked surprised. “How do you know Casper?” She sat next to the white tom.

young“He taught Fallowfern and the Clan pawspeak,” Honeytail remembered when she was a young warrior, Waspwhisker brought Casper home for his mate, Fallowfern, who had recently gone deaf. Casper taught the whole Clan how to pawspeak, which took two or three moons. Some warriors came up with their own words, ones that Casper didn’t use. Now, all the kits knew how to pawspeak, in case another warrior became deaf or a kit was born deaf.

Maxie flicked her tail to Honeytail. “Come on, I want to show you more.” Honeytail flicked her tail to Casper as a goodbye before following Maxie again. The black-and-white kittypet brought her a bunch of small . . .  _ things. _ One was fluffy, scratched, and looked vaguely like a rabbit, one a long stick with a string attached, and the last was a ball with something shiny inside. “These are what my housefolk use when we play together.”

Honeytail sniffed at them, wrinkling her nose. “What do you do with them?”

“They’ll throw them around and let me chase them, and let me bat at the twine. It’s fun.”

Honeytail wasn’t sure how Maxie could have fun with a bit of twine. She shrugged.  _ Maybe she bats the rabbit-like mossball.  _ “So, are we going to hunt today?” Honeytail asked, blinking at Maxie.

Maxie hopped to her paws, her eyes shining. “Yes!” she shouted. She bounded out of the room and Honeytail followed, smiling at the kittypet’s excitement. They left the den through the flap and hopped over the fence. They made their way back to the fence that surrounded the Twolegplace and jumped over that too. By now, the sun was nearly at its peak and the forest was brighter than this morning, though it seemed as though the clouds were still threatening snow. Honeytail’s fur bristled. It was cold, though the sun was out of the clouds.

The two she-cats wandered a bit and Honeytail was surprised when they reached the river. By then, Maxie had caught a mouse. She had her chest puffed up in pride. The river was still a bit frozen, but some of the water had broken free. “We’re lucky there’s still some prey around here.” She stopped when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and heard a bird flutter its wings. She saw a starling on the ground, pecking at the eath. Crouching down, Honeytail stalked forward. She leaped, her long, strong legs propelling her forward. She laded on the sparrow and it squawked before she bit its neck. She picked it up in her jaws and padded to Maxie.

“What do you mean?” Maxie sniffed at the bird. “I’ve been finding lots of prey around town.”

“Well, there’s none in the forest,” Honeytail sighed. “Leafbare’s always been hard. And this year, lots of cats are sick. Tinycloud’s, one of our queens, mate is sick with greencough.”

Maxie’s eyes rounded. “That’s awful,” she murmured. “I hope they come out of it okay.” She set down the mouse and pushed it toward Honeytail. “Here, in case any cat needs it. You Clan cats are really brave. I admire you.” She pressed her nose to Honeytail’s cheek. “We should head home. Come back whenever you’re ready, okay? No pressure.” Maxie blinked at her and disappeared into the forest, back toward the Twolegplace.

Honytail’s heart was thumping, a heat in her chest. Lowering her head, Honeytail began making her way home. When she reached the gorge, her heart was still aching. She climbed down into the clearing. She padded into the medicine den. Ebonyclaw is shifting in her nest, letting out weak coughs. Honeytail put the starling in front of her mouth and she lifted her head. “Thank you,” she rasped, sitting up.

Honeytail padded over to Petalnose and nudged her. “Petalnose,” she whispered, trying not to wake the others. The elder didn’t stir. “Petalnose, wake up.” Still, she didn’t open her eyes. Honeytail’s pelt prickled along her spine. Her heart stopped. “Echosong! Frecklewish!”

The two medicine cat’s heads perked from across the den. “What’s wrong?” Frecklewish asked, her eyes round. They saw Petalnose and Echosong began sniffing at her fur.

Echosong pulled away and closed her eyes. “She’s gone,” she sighed, shaking her head.

Honeytail slumped. “Tangle died earlier today as well,” Frecklewish murmured. She blinked at Echosong. “We should bring her out. We’ll sit vigil for both of them tonight.” Frecklewish grabbed the dead elder’s scruff and both she and Echosong carried her out of the den. Honeytail watched them go, her eyes round with sadness. Mintstem and Sagenose would be devastated. Her tail dragging, she stepped out of the medicine den.

Echosong and Frecklewish lay her down in the center of camp and the warriors in the clearing stared in shock. Sagenose leaped down the rocks down to his mother, sniffing at her fur. His eyes became glassy and he lowered his head. “I’ll go get Mintstem,” Birdwing murmured, pressing her nose against Sagenose’s cheek. Stormheart followed her out o camp, casting a sad glance at Sagenose before leaving camp.

Honeytail kept her distance as Sagenose lay next to his mother, putting his head in her chest. Frecklewish lay rosemary and lavender in Petalnose’s fur to hide the scent of death and the Clan gathered around, their heads low. Mintstem entered camp with Nettlesplash, Stormheart, and Birdwing, and tumbled down the rocks to their mother. When they saw their mother, their eyes widened and they wailed, burying her nose into her fur.

Her close friends and family circled her and groomed her fur, along with Leafstar and Echosong. Honeytail was about to walk away from the grieving warriors before Shrewtooth stepped forward, their eyes narrow. “I’m leaving SkyClan,” they announced.

Leafstar turned to them in shock. “What? Why?”

Shrewtooth’s eyes glazed over. “Petalnose was my best friend,” they hissed. “Clan life has been so hard on both of us and she suffered for so long from the greencough. I wish I’d never joined the Clans. I don’t want to suffer as she did.”

Sharpclaw snarled. “If you had never joined the clans, you would still be with that horrid Twoleg.”

Shrewtooth lashed their til. “I owe you nothing,” they snapped.

Leafstar glared at them. “You can leave if you want,” she meowed, an edge to her tone. “We don’t want a coward living among us.”

Shrewtooth lowered their head and turned their back on their Clanmates. They climbed up the rock wall and disappeared. Leafstar watched them with round eyes before sniffing. “Let’s continue our vigil.”

Honeytail watched from afar as Echosong spoked to lead Petalnose and Tangle’s spirit to SkyClan. Her heart was pounding.  _ Not only did Petalnose and Tangle die but now Shrewtooth is gone too. _ She sighed. How many cats would StarClan take this Leafbare?

\--------

A moon passed since Petalnose and tangle died. Since then, Waspwhisker and Ebonyclaw had recovered, the only cat left in the den was MacGyver, much to his mate’s, Bouncefire, dismay. Hawkkit, Cloudkit, Duskkit, and Bloomkit became apprentices to Ebonyclaw, Plumwillow, Waspwhisker, and Firefern respectively. Tinycloud was heavier than ever in the nursery and her mate spent as much time as she could with her.

Honeytail had been visiting Maxie as much as she could nowadays. It was still snowing now and then, but Newleaf was close and the sun melted it fast. Honeytail enjoyed the kittypet’s company. A lot. She sighed at the thought of her.

Honeytail took another bite of the squirrel she and Ebonyclaw were eating. It was nearly sundown, most of the hunting and border patrols were back by now and cats shared tongues in the center of camp. Ebonyclaw groomed herself, stretched out on the warm rocks. It was a chilly evening, but not cold enough to have to stay inside the dens. Sharpclaw and Cherrytail were sharing prey with their kits but Duskpaw was distracted as Waspwhisker was talking to him. She purred when she saw Hawkpaw pressed against Cherrytail.

Honeytail jolted when Bouncefire leaped up onto the ledge. His eyes were wild. “Tinycloud is giving birth,” he meowed, staring at Ebonyclaw.

Ebonyclaw hopped to her paws. “Have you told Frecklewish and Echosong?”

“They’re not in camp,” Bouncefire explained, “I was about to get them.”

“Stay with your sister, I’ll get them,” Honeytail insisted. Bouncefire blinked at her and he and Ebonyclaw jumped down to the nursery. Honeytail climbed up the gorge wall and sniffed around, trying to catch the medicine cat’s scents. She found a trail and followed it swiftly. She saw the two medicine cats gathering herbs near the Twolegplace. “Tinycloud’s giving birth!”

Echosong’s eyes widened. “It’s much too early for that.” She glanced at Frecklewish. “You know what to get right?” Her apprentice nodded and turned, disappearing into the forest. “Honeytail, get a nice strong stick she can bite down on. I’ll be in camp.”

Honeytail nodded and the medicine cat rushed back to camp. Honeytail scanned the forest for a stick that TInycloud could bite down on. She found one near the fence and grabbed it, about to turn around when she heard a voice behind her. “Why’re you in such a rush?”

Honeytail recognized Maxie on the fence, her eyes sparkling. Honeytail’s paws tingled. She wished she could stay with Maxie, but she needed to get home. “Tinycloud is giving birth,” she meowed. “I’m sorry I have to go. I’ll see you tonight.”

Maxie’s eyes rounded and she nodded. “No worries, go fast.”

Honeytail waved her tail to her before making her way back to camp. Most of the cats in the camp were whispering to one another, their eyes wide. Honeytail padded into the nursery, giving Ebonyclaw the stick. “What took you so long?” She put the stick down in front of her mate and Tinycloud bit down on it. The queen was shivering, her eyes squeezing shut.

“Sorry, something held me up.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Frecklewish said, focusing on Tinycloud, “you and Bouncefire should leave. We don’t want to crowd Tinycloud.”

Bouncefire and Honeytail shared a look before leaving the den. Honeytail’s heart pounded. Tinycloud looked so small. She didn’t remember Cherrytail’s labor being like this. Honeytail stood outside the nursery. The apprentices were staring at the nursery in wonder, but their mother and father didn’t allow them to see what was happening. Eventually, their mentors and Bellaleaf took them out of camp, making them whine.

The moon was rising slowly in the sky. Honeytail sat with Sandynose and Birdwing, all of them worried about their Clanmate. At moonhigh, Echosong padded out of the den. The Clan stared at her with round eyes. “Tinycloud gave birth to four kits, only three lived. Two toms and a she-cat.” The warriors let out a sigh of relief. Still, Honeytail’s heart ached for the mothers. She heard the kits squeal and she smiled.  _ At least they survived. _

She blinked at her siblings. “I’m going out to get some fresh air,” she meowed. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Be careful,” Birdwing meowed.

Honeyail flicked her tail to them before padding out of camp. The crisp Leafbare air burned her throat as she padded through the forest. She reached the Twolegplace and smiled when she saw Maxie still on the fence waiting for her. She hopped up next to Maxie, pressing their noses together.

“Did everything go okay?” Maxie asked, her voice quiet.

“They lost a kit, but three survived,” Honeytail explained.

Maxie’s ears flattened. “That’s so sad,” she murmured. “At least the three are okay, though.” Honeytail nodded in agreement.

She smiled a bit. “Despite what happened, I think I want kits more than ever now.” She loved when Sharpclaw and Cherrytail had kits, how they were so small and grew so fast. They were so playful and adorable. She purred. “I’ve always wanted kits since I was an apprentice. But, I don’t know, I’m not really romantically attracted in any of my Clanmates, really.”

Maxie stared at her, the light of the moon shining in her large, amber eyes. She lowered her head, her tail flicking a bit. “Would you have kits with a kittypet?”

Honeytail blinked in surprise. “It’s unconventional, but not unheard of,” she murmured.

Maxie smiled, shifting on her haunches. “Listen. I know that you’ve said that your Clanmates don’t really like outsiders at the moment. But I . . .” She trailed off for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking Honeytail in the eyes. “I really like you, Honeytail. I’ve liked you for a while now. I’m. I’m really glad we met.”

Honeytail’s heart burst. Her chest swelled and something behind her ribs felt sticky and sweet and warm. Her ears burned. “Maxie. I like you too.” She smiled, pressing against Maxie. “I’m glad we met, too.” She put her nose to Maxie’s ear and the kittypet nuzzled her.

“Maybe one day, I can join SkyClan and we can have kits together.” She looked up at Maxie again. “I’d really like that.”

Honeytail put her chin on Maxie’s head. “Yes. I’d really like that too.”


	4. Chapter Three

Seasons had passed since Maxie and Honeytail became mats. Since then Tinycloud and Ebonyclaw’s kit, Thistlekit, died due to not eating enough. His mothers missed him but Pebblepaw and Parsleypaw were alive and well. Pebblepaw was much smaller than her brother and Parsleypaw had an allergy to pollen but they were fine, thank StarClan. They were apprenticed to Billystorm and Rabbitleap respectively. Every cat had worried that the two of them would die in the cold.

Hawkpaw and his siblings were doing well in their training, but Duskpaw was a mischievous little tom. He often got into fights with Parsleypaw and older warriors and explored the Twolegplace. Once, when Honeytail was visiting Maxie, she saw the young ginger tom. “What are you doing here?” she snapped at the apprentice.

He only sent her a glare. “I’m exploring. What are  _ you _ doing here?”

Luckily, Honeytail came up with a quick lie, only saying that she followed his scent to him, but he didn’t seem to buy it. She brought him home, though he was stubborn, and silently apologized to Maxie. When she told Waspwhisker, the senior warrior nearly clawed his apprentice’s ears off. Duskpaw only sulked, barely listening to his mentor.

Despite Duskpaw’s stubbornness, his siblings and he were growing to be excellent warriors. Everyone thought they’d be made warriors early on for being the deputy’s kits but Leafstar wasn’t sure she should meet Duskpaw’s disobedience with praise. Duskpaw even roped Hawkpaw into his shenanigans. Ebonyclaw and Waspwhisker would catch them eating prey before no other cat in camp ate. Hawkpaw was nothing but apologetic but Duskpaw only scowled as his mentor and father scolded him.

Honeytail knew this behavior came from being Sharpclaw’s kit. He was spoiled as a kitten and since Tinycloud and Ebonyclaw’s kits were born, the attention shifted to them. Plus, being the kit of a deputy must be hard. He was probably feeling pressured. Still, that didn’t excuse his actions. No matter how much Leafstar punished him, he’d continue to be a pain in the tail. Every cat was annoyed by him, even his own father. Parsleypaw and Pebblepaw complained of him pulling pranks on them, putting ants in Pebblepaw’s nest and feeding Parsleypaw yarrow so he got sick.

Even though Hawkpaw knew how annoying his brother was, he followed him like a duckling followed its mother. Their mentors had since separated them and Sharpclaw made sure they were on different patrols. Honeytail felt bad for the apprentices nonetheless. They were as close as doves.

Honeytail looked up at the sky. It was nearly sunhigh. She got up and stretched. “I’m going hunting,” she meowed to Birdwing, who was grooming herself beside her.

Birdwing lifted her head. “I’ll come too. I wanted to tell you something.” Honeytail’s stomach churned.  _ I really want to see Maxie.  _ But she nodded. They left camp and padded into the forest. They met Waspwhisker, Duskpaw, Billystorm, and Pebblepaw on a border patrol. They waved their tails to each other before they disappeared. Birdwing stopped and her sister sat beside her.

“What did you want to talk to me about”

Birdwing took a deep breath, then smiled. “I’m pregnant. I’m due next moon.”

Honeytail’s eyes widened. “That’s great!” She nudged her sister’s cheek with her nose.

“I haven't told Sagenose and Stormheart yet, though,” Birdwing sighed, lowering her head. “After Leafbare was so rough last year, I’m worried about this year’s snows.”

Honeytail blinked. “I’m sure they’ll be fine,” she meowed. “Pebblepaw and Parsleypaw are okay and this Leafbare can’t be as bad as the last one. Besides, Thistlekit didn’t die of the cold, he died because he was refusing to eat.”

“It’s just scary.” Birdwing looked up at the trees. There were only a few orange leaves clinging to the branches. “Leafbare is a moon away. Even if it isn’t as cold, they could catch greencough.”

Honeytail brushed her tail down her sister’s spine. “I promise I’ll help you take care of the kits,” she meowed. “And Sagenose and Stormheart are good warriors. They’ll be the best parents your kits can ask for.”

Birdwing smiled at her. “Thank you,” she meowed. “I’m glad they’ll have an aunt like you.” She blinked and took a deep breath. “Guess I have to go home and tell Stormheart and Sagenose. No going back now.” She turned back toward camp, flicking her tail to her sister. Honeytail watched her disappear before heading to the Twolegplace.

Just like always, Maxie was sitting on the fence. The kittypet perked her ears when her mate approached. She hopped down and pressed her nose to Honeytail’s, her purr loud. “How’re you doing?” 

“I’m great. Birdwing is having kits.” Honeytail laughed when Maxie’s eyes widened.

“That’s good!” Maxie meowed, smiling. “I’m happy for her. I hope I can meet them one day.”

Honeytail’s heart ached. “I hope so, too.” She wondered how Birdwing would react to her kittypet mate. Anxiety clutched at her chest at the thought. She wasn’t ready to tell her yet.

\--------

A few moons had passed since Birdwing told Honeytail she was pregnant. Honeytail remembered the day they were born vividly, meeting them in the nursery for the first time. There were two she-cats and a moggy. They were all curled up at Birdwing’s belly then, small enough to sit in the nook of Birdwing.

“Do you have any names in mind?” Honeytail had asked her sister.

“Stormheart named the little black-and-white moggy Fidgetkit, since they fidget their paws so much,” Birdwing had purred. “They’re all so perfect.”

“I love it.”

Now, Honeytail spent as much time as she could with her nieces and niblings. They were three moons old, the two mollies named Curlykit, after her curled tail, much like Mintstem’s, and Snipkit, much too big to continue to sleep with their mother. They insisted on having their own nests. Honeytail remembered when she caught them their first mouse. Now they were learning to catch their own prey with their parents.

With Newleaf came budding flowers and leaves and the snow melted around them. Now, Honeytail ate a rabbit with Stormheart, watching over the kits. The Clan was bustling, Sharpclaw sending out patrols and Pebblepaw and Parsleypaw were leaving with their mentors. Hawkpaw, Duskpaw, Cloudpaw, and Bloompaw were already out. Sharpclaw and Cherrytail’s kits were nearly warriors now, Ebonyclaw told Honeytail that they were about ready to assess them all. Honeytail was happy for the apprentices, remembering her assessment and how excited she and her siblings were when they earned their names.

A pang in her stomach made Honeytail flinch. It began to churn uncomfortably. “Are you okay?” Stormheart asked.

“Yeah, I’m not feeling all that well this morning.” Another pain and she crouched down.

“Go see Frecklewish and Echosong. They’ll help you out.”

Honeytail nodded and got up, jumping down from the ledge. She padded toward the medicine den and inside Frecklewish was looking over Duskpaw, whose fur was ruffled and scratched. It looked as if he jumped into a thorn bush.  _ Waspwhisker probably gave him another lecture for that. _ Echosong was sorting through herbs before she saw the pale ginger she-cat. She blinked at her and came to sit down.

“How’re you doing this morning” Echosong meowed, settling on her haunches.

“My stomach’s been aching,” Honeytail explained, laying down so Echosong could look her over. “I wasn’t feeling that great last night either.”

Echosong put her paws on Honeytail’s stomach, feeling around. Her eyes widened and she felt around more, pressing her paws down a bit, before looking over at Frecklewish. “Why don’t you take Duskpaw out? I need to talk to Honeytail.”

Frecklewish nodded and led Duskpaw out of the den. The apprentice glanced at her with big eyes but followed the medicine cat out. Fear flashed under Honeytail’s pelt. “Is everything okay?”

“Of course,” Echosong purred and Honeytail relaxed. “In fact, everything’s great. You’re pregnant.”

Honeytail stiffened. She didn’t know what to say for a few heartbeats, staring at her paws. “How- how long have I been pregnant?”

“Not that long. You’re just starting to show, it seems.” She blinked at her. “You deserve some congratulations. It's not every day a queen gets pregnant.”

Anxiety, happiness, and excitement swirled inside Honeytail as she tried to process the news.  _ Are they Maxie’s? Whose else would they be? _ “Can you tell me how many there are?”

“Not yet, but it’s always hard to tell. We’ll see, I suppose.” She padded into the back of the den where her herbs sat and grabbed some berries. “Here. Juniper berries. They’ll help your stomach ache. Make sure to take it easy.”

“Thank you.” Honeytail ate the juniper berries, cringing at the strange taste. “Have a good day.” She padded out of the den.

Sandynose sat outside the den and stood when he saw his sister, his blue eyes wide. “Hey, I saw you go in,” he meowed. “Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah, just a stomach ache,” Honeytail lied. “I’m feeling better, though. I'm just going to go on a walk, the camp is too cramped.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, I’ll be okay. Thanks, though.” Honeytail waved her tail to her brother and padded along the ledges of the gorge and out of camp. She paced, her heart thumping.  _ Should I tell Maxie? _ she wondered She felt sick at the thought. What if Maxie got upset? They’d talked about having kits before but it wasn’t something she thought would happen anytime soon. She slumped, sighing. “Would she be upset?” she murmured. Shaking out her fur, Honeytail got back up. “They’re her kits, too. She should be one of the first to know.”

She padded toward the Twolegplace, her paws heavy. She reached the fence and hopped over, making her way to Maxie’s den. The yard behind her den was empty. She sat and waited for Maxie to leave the den, grooming herself in the meantime. It was sunhigh before Maxie leaped out through her cat flap. The kittypet’s ears perked when she saw her mate, then she smiled and bounded over.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, nuzzling her mate.

“I wanted to talk to you,” Honeytail meowed, seeing a flash of fear in Maxie’s eyes. But she nodded and they hopped back over the fence, padding around the Twolegplace as they went. They intertwined their tails and bumped against each other every now and the. Honeytail hyped herself up as they walked in silence. She took a deep breath when they reached the fence that led to SkyClan territory and stopped. “I have to tell you something.”

Maxie stopped, looking back at her mate. “What’s up?”

Honeytail lowered her head. “I’m pregnant.”

Maxie’s eyes stretched wide and she smiled, much to Honeytail’s surprise. “That’s great!”

Honeytail’s fur prickled. “Is it?” she asked, her heart wrenching. “If we continue like this, me in SkyClan and you in the Twolegplace, you might never see the kits.”

Maxie lowered her ears. “Are you willing to become a kittypet?”

“No. I have to stay in SkyClan.”

“I don’t think I can leave my friends around the neighborhood.” Her amber eyes glassed over. “I’m sorry.”

Honeytail stepped closer, pressing her nose to Maxie’s. “Don’t be sorry, I understand. I . . . I need some time to think. I might not come around the Twolegplace.”

“Of course.” Maxie blinked at her. “I think a break would be best for you. Stay safe. “She touched her nose to Honeytail’s. “I love you.”

Honeytail purred. “I love you too, dove.” She thought her heart was going to break as she jumped over the fence, back into SkyClan territory. She began to make her trek back home when a twig snapped behind her. She turned to see a white cat, tall with black splotches on their face and a black tail. Their eyes were ice blue, sharp and piercing. Honeytail’s fur bristled along her spine. “Who are you?” she spat.

“Just a passerby.” They looked at the fence. “I saw what happened. It’s a shame. Wouldn’t life be better if you Clan cats didn’t have to live by all these rules?”

“How do  _ you _ know our way of life?” Honeytail asked, keeping her claws unsheathed.

They sniffed and shrugged. “My father was close to the Clans, a long time ago.”

Honeytail raised herself. “The Clans have rules for a reason. No rogue can tell us otherwise. Now  _ leave. _ ”

The cat’s eyes shone and he nodded, turning and padding into the forest. Honeytail made sure he was gone before she continued on her way. Despite how much she hated to admit it, the strange cat was right. What  _ would _ life be like without all these rules telling her who she can and can’t love?

\--------

A week had passed since Honeytail told Maxie the news and they still hadn’t spoken since then. Honeytail avoided the Twolegplace, wondering if Maxie ever sat on the fence waiting or her. Depression clung to her like a burr but she forced herself to be optimistic. Since she told Birdwing and Sandynose about the kits, they were nothing but supportive. They didn’t even ask who the sire was. She tried to relax to keep herself and the kits safe but it was hard. She missed Maxie.

Since then, Mintstem also joined the nursery, pregnant with Nettlesplash’s kits. The two cats had been mates for quite some time, trying to keep it a secret, but everyone knew. It was no surprise when Mintstem revealed they were having kits.

The three queens sat together, grooming each other’s fur. It was hot, the Newleaf sun beating down on them. Honeytail splayed out as Birdwing groomed her shoulder, her stomach now round with Maxie’s kits. Birdwing’s kits tumbled around below them, with Stormheart watching them. Now and then, the three kits would jump over her mother, batting at her tail. They were all nearly as big as Stormheart now, Honeytail was finding it hard to sleep in the nursery with them.

Honeytail was about to lay her head down to rest when Birdwing’s head perked up and she sniffed the air, her eyes round. “Do you smell that?” she meowed, tasting the air. Honeytail did as well and cringed when a sharp scent bathed her tongue. Birdwing coughed. “Smoke.”

Birdwing leaped to her paws. “Fire! I smell fire!”

The warriors in camp shared shocked glances, getting to their paws as well. Sharpclaw jumped onto the Rockpile, yowling for silence among the murmuring cats. “Sagenose, Cherrytail, come with me. We need to see if anyone’s hurt. Everyone else, stay calm. If we’re not back soon, MacGyver and Bouncefire will come look for us.” He blinked at the two warriors.

  
  


Honeytail sat, her paws prickling with anxiety, as she waited for her deputy to return. She knew full well why Sharpclaw and Cherrytail went out. Their kits and their mentors were out there, on patrol. Something could happen to them. She watched the rim of the gorge with wide eyes. Birdwing sat beside her, shifting on her haunches.  _ Please.  _ Please _ come back. _

Her heart lifted when she saw a few of her Clanmates peering down at the top of the gorge. But it dropped again when she saw Waspwhisker something. A limp, lump of ginger fur. Hawkpaw, Cloudpaw, and Bloompaw all stared at it with disbelief in their eyes. Hawkpaw was shaking, his yellow eyes wide with fear. His gray fur was scorched along one side but, luckily, he didn’t seem harmed.

Echosong bounded out of her den, herbs in her jaws. Frecklewish followed with a bit of honeycomb in her jaws. The freckled she-cat padded up next to Hawkpaw and gave him the honey, licking the apprentice’s head as he took it from her. Echosong pressed her ear against Duskpaw’s chest. The whole Can held its breath as they waited for Echosong to tell them if the apprentice was okay. Then, Echosong lifted her head and shook it, her eyes hollow.

Cherrytail slowly padded toward her kit. She sat beside the dead apprentice and wrapped her tail around him. She smiled, her eyes glassy. Then she let out a long wail, dropping down and burying her face into her kit’s fur. Honeytail almost expected the ginger tom to lift his head and shake his mother off, telling her to stop babying him but he didn’t move. Cloudpaw and Bloompaw let out moans of dismay as well, unable to look at their dead brother. Sharpclaw’s eyes were locked on his son, as if unable to look away. And Hawkpaw was staring at his paws, shaking immensely. Honeytail watched as he stumbled and fell to the ground, passed out.


	5. Chapter Four

Since Duskpaw died a week ago, his siblings had gained their warriors names: Hawkwing, Bloomwhisker, and Cloudmist. Bloomwhisker and Cloudmist passed their test first while Hawkwing was still healing in the medicine den. Ebonyclaw assessed him not long after Echosong let him leave the den and Leafstar made him a warrior. He was still grieving his brother, the whole family was, but he was patrolling at least. It was obvious his hunting was affected, but he tried. No one pushed him, he needed time.

Honeytail licked her ever-growing belly as she sat with the other queens. Fidgetkit, Curlykit, and Snipkit were all play-fighting nearby, wrestling with one another roughly. It wasn’t until Fidgetkit yelped in pain that Birdwing intervened. “What’s wrong?” she asked, sniffing at her kit.

“Curlykit bit me!” they yowled.

“I did not!” Curlykit gave her sibling an indignant glare.

Birdwing purred. “Don’t shout, dear. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Fidgetkit huffed and leaped back onto Curlykit, swiping at her with sheathed claws. The kits giggled as Snipkit jumped into the bundle of fur as well. Birdwing sighed as she sat back down next to her sister. “I can’t wait until they have more kits to play with. Stormheart and Sgaenose have helped a lot but I want to get out of camp again.”

Honeytail smiled. “It won’t be long.”

“Thank StarClan,” Birdwing sighed. “I’m sure our kits will get along perfectly. I’m so excited to meet them.”

Honeytail nodded in agreement Despite how anxious she was, she couldn’t stop the excitement that tingled in her paws. She wondered what her kits would be like. She wondered if they’d be like Maxie. “Your kits will be happy to have more playmates.”

“I’m just hoping for the day when both of us can have our kits,” Mintstem meowed, stretching her front paws out. “I’m tired of them kicking at me.”

Honeytail’s whiskers twitched. “Me too.”

Mintstem opened their jaws to say something when their ears perked, glancing at the rim of the gorge. There, Hawkwing was padding down into the camp with a strange cat on his tail. For the first time, Hawkwing’s tail wasn’t dragging behind him and his eyes weren’t dull. Honeytail’s heart stuttered when she recognized the cat behind him. The white-and-black rogue she’d seen a few weeks ago. They locked eyes and her pelt prickled along her spine. His eyes narrowed but he smiled at her.

Leafstar noticed him as well, jumping down from her den and to the young warrior. “Who is this?” She gave the rogue an apprehensive look.

Hawkwing nodded to Leafstar. “This is Darktail,” he meowed. “I met him near where the fire was. He was nearby when it happened and got scorched. He needs help.” For the first time, Honeytail noticed the rogue’s fur was seared on one side. It didn’t look as if he was harmed, but his fur was too thick to know.

Leafstar squinted at the cat, her tail flicking as she considered whether they should help him or not. She shook out her fur. “Follow me then.” Their leader led the rogue and Hawkwing to the medicine den, flicking her tail to Ebonyclaw and Sharpclaw to follow. The SkyClan cats stared after them, sharing glances.

“Dark _ tail _ ?” Birdwing murmured. “But isn’t that a rogue?”

“What if he’s from ThunderClan or one of the others?” Mintstem gasped. “He might be able to show us where they are.”

Honeytail’s stomach churned. Why would they need to know where the other Clans are?  _ If we knew, would we leave the gorge to find them? _ she wondered.  _ And, if so, would the Clans accept us . . .? _ “We don’t want another Sol character in our camp,” Honeytail sniffed. “This cat might be like him, just here to terrorize us.”

Mintstem shrugged and continued to groom themself. They waited until Leafstar came out of the den and Honeytail stood. She leaped up on top of the rockpile and called the Clan together. Most of the warriors were already sharing tongues in the center while the others circled around. Honeytail hopped down from the ledge she and the other queens were sitting on and joined the others. Sharpclaw hopped up next to his leader and Frecklewish sat beside him.

“Cats of SkyClan,” she began, making the warriors go quiet. “We have a visitor in the medicine den. His name is Darktail and he said he has news that could help us.”

“A rogue with a warrior name?” Creekfeather stared at his leader with wide eyes.

“Don’t you remember Rainfur?” Sparrowheart asked. “He was a rogue, too, and he had a warrior name.”

“That doesn’t matter now,” Leafstar interrupted. “Darktail says he has valuable information about the Clans.” Honeytail’s ears perked. “According to him, he knows which lake they reside by and he says he can bring us there.”

Hawkwing looked more excited than he had in moons. “We could send a small patrol with Darktail to find them.”

Leafstar’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “I’d like to think this over with my senior warriors.” She flicked her tail to Sparrowheart, Bouncefire, Billystorm, and Egg and they followed her into her den to talk.

Birdwing watched them go with narrow eyes. “I don’t know about this,” she meowed, her claws kneading into the earth. “After what happened with Sol, I don’t think it’s the best idea to let another rogue into camp with open arms.”

“I agree,” Mintstem murmured. “Maybe Leafstar is just eager to have something good happen after the fire and . . . Duskpaw’s death.”

Honeytail flinched at the mention of the young tom. “Well, even if that’s true, I hope Leafstar makes a rational decision” As anxiety washed over her, she couldn’t help but think of Maxie. She wanted to see her again, it had been so long. Taking a deep breath to ease her tight chest, Honeytail got to her paws. “I need to take a walk to clear my head.”

“Stay safe,” birdwing meowed as her sister left camp.

Honeytail made her way to the Twolegplace. The Newleaf air made her heart warm as she walked, breathing the scents of the earth. The beginning of Newleaf was her favorite time of year. Happiness bubbled up inside her when she reached the Twolegplace. Just as she was about to hop over the fence, she saw a familiar cat at the border. They looked as if they were debating whether they should cross or not.

“Maxie!” Honeytail called, bounding over to her mate.

Maxie’s amber eyes widened when she saw Honeytail. She bowled into the pale ginger warrior, nuzzling her and purring loudly. “I’m so happy to see you.”

Honeytail licked her forehead, her whiskers twitching. “It’s only been a few weeks.”

“And I missed you so much.”

Honeytail’s ears warmed as she breathed in the scent of Maxie’s pelt. She smelled like the cherries that grew in the back of her den. Honeytail broke into a loud purr as her mate pressed her nose against her cheek. “I was waiting for the right time to come,” Honeytail meowed.

“Well, I’m glad you came.” Maxie pulled away and she looked as if she was about to burst with excitement. “I’ve made a big decision. I think I want to join SkyClan, finally.”

Honeytail’s heart faltered. She’d been worried about telling the Clan about Maxie and now they had Darktail to worry about. What if something went wrong? Could Maxie get hurt if she joined the Clan now? Anxiety churned in her stomach. “I’d love that. But I don’t know if it’s the best time to join.”

Maxie’s eyes rounded. “Why? Did something happen?”

“No, but I just want to be safe.” She blinked at her mate, licking her curly fur. “I promise, once the kits are born, you can join SkyClan. For now, this is fine, right? I like meeting you in the Twolegplace.”

Maxie smiled but it was forced. “Yes, this is good. We’ll be together soon, I just know it.”

\--------

A few days passed, the full moon came and went, and Honeytail was growing bigger by the day. Darktail was still staying in the camp, much to her dismay, but he was still injured by the fire, so Echosong wanted him to stay longer. Most of SkyClan avoided the medicine den besides Hawkwing, who seemed too interested in the older rogues. Honeytail was worried about the younger warrior’s sudden obsession. Just what did he see in Darktail?

A lot of cats were unhappy with the rogue staying in their camp, including Sharpclaw and Sandynose. Honeytail had heard Sandynose arguing with Leafstar and Echosong once about him but they never listened to him. Sharpclaw would give Hawkwing sharp looks as if upset his son brought the rogue into camp. Despite how she felt about the situation, Honeytail didn’t find that fair. Hawkwing was still young, he’d make a lot of mistakes.

Honeytail snapped out of her thoughts when Leafstar called a Clan meeting. She got to her paws and stretched, padding out of the nursery den. It was a sunny day, no clouds in sight, and the rays warmed her fur. Fidgetkit, Snipkit, and Curlykit were eating beside Sagenose, Birdwing, and Stormheart, splayed out to soak up the sun. Sharpclaw and Cherrytail were sharing tongues and Sparrowheart sat not far away with his nieces and nephew, who were all chattering. MacGyver and Bouncefire were sitting in the shade with their paws tucked under their chests, looking up at Leafstar on the rockpile. Honeytail joined her sister, waiting for her leader to begin.

The Clan went silent when Leafstar cleared her throat. “As you all know, we have a stranger among us-” the Clan looked at the medicine den, where Darktail stood at the entrance, herbs plastered to his side where his skin was still burned “-and Hawkwing has come up with the idea of sending a patrol to ThunderClan, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan, following Darktail’s instructions.” Hawkwing licked his chest as all eyes turned on him. Murmurs sounded from the warriors as they whispered into one another’s ears, casting worried glances at their leader. “My senior warriors and I have spoken and we’ve come to a decision. I will be sending out a patrol to find the other Clans.”

The Clan went silent once more. Sandynose was the first to speak, stepping up boldly. “And why should we trust Darktail?” he snarled. “For all we know, he’s lying and sending us on a wild goose chase!”

Hawkwing leaped to his paws before Darktail could defend himself. “I’ve gotten to know Darktail very well!” he shouted and Sandynose rolled his eyes. “He’s a good cat, I know it.”

“You’re barely out of the apprentices’ den,” he huffed, “why should we listen to a cat who still has kitten fluff behind his ears?”

Hawkwing puffed up his chest in indignation but before he could speak, Leafstar cut him off. “I trust Darktail as well. And so do the senior warriors.”

“We trusted Sol once too,” Sandynose growled and the Clan murmured in agreement.

Anger sparked in Leafstar’s eyes at the mention of the tortoiseshell tom. “Enough,” she snapped and Sandynose flinched. “This is my final decision, you won’t change my mind. Billystorm, Hawkwing, and Waspwhisker will be following Darktail’s instructions to find the Clans. Meanwhile, I will continue to train Pebblepaw-”

The apprentice stepped forward, pushing past the crowd. “I want to go as well!”

Leafstar blinked in surprise before Tinycloud stood in front of her daughter, fear flashing in her eyes. “I won’t let Pebblepaw go,” she meowed, her voice firm.

Leafstar gave the tired warrior a sympathetic look. “I understand your worry,” she meowed, “but Pebblepaw will be safe. Three great warriors are going with her, one of which is her mentor.”

“I’ll take good care of her,” Billystorm promised. He winked at his apprentice and she smiled.

“So can I go?” Pebblepaw looked as if she was holding her breath.

Leafstar glanced at Tinycloud, who only lowered her head and backed away. “Yes, you can go. You’ll be leaving at sunhigh.” Echosong padded into her den to get traveling herbs.

Pebblepaw bounced and she rushed over to Hawkwing, who gave her an excited look. Since Hawkwing met Darktail, he’d been so much kinder. He no longer snapped at older warriors or sulked in his den. Honeytail’s heart ached for him.  _ He’s putting too much trust into him, isn’t he? _

\-------

Three days passed since Leafstar sent the warriors on their quest. Darktail was now fully healed. Some warriors talked to him, asking him questions and sharing prey with him. Most of the Clan had warmed up to him, besides Sandynose and Sharpclaw, who sent him snarls and glares. Darktail only watched them with an unfazed look. Honeytail spoke to him once or twice. He was kind to her, despite how she acted the day they met. She even shared a squirrel with him once when there wasn’t enough prey on the pile for everyone. He seemed lonely without Hawkwing.

“Don’t you ever want to leave the Clans with your mate?” Darktail had asked out of the blue.

Honeytail blinked and shuffled on her haunches. “I’ve never wanted to be a loner or kittypet,” she mumbled around a mouthful of prey. “She said she wanted to join SkyClan but I’m worried.”

“The Clan’s been very kind to me,” Darktail meowed, swiping his tongue over his lips and grooming himself. “Are you worried they’re going to shun her?”

Honeytail caught his sharp blue eyes and shivered. “Not exactly.”  _ I’m worried you’re going to turn on us. _ She tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. He seemed like a good cat. But she couldn’t put her full trust in him.

Now, it was dark. The sounds of crickets had lulled Honeytail to sleep. Now, the quarter moon was at its peak. The wind rushed through the quarry, whistling. For a while, everything was peaceful.

Honeytail jolted in her nest when she heard a screech outside. The other queens must have heard it too because they were on their paws in an instant. Honeytail rushed out of the nursery, ignoring Birdwing shouting out for her to stay. In the clearing, cats she didn’t recognize were attacking her Clanmates. Her heart was thumping in her chest as she watched her warriors defend their camp, teeth flashing in the moonlight, along with blood. Every cat was yowling, claws outstretched, tails bushed up and lashing.

Honeytail grunted as a rogue bowled into her, pinning her to the earth. She bared her teeth, snarling. She swiped at their face, managing to catch their ear as they ducked, but was unable to get out of their grasp. Honeytail yowled in pain as they scratched down her side. The weight was lifted when another cat attacked the rogue, shoving them off of her.

She recognized Sandynose, who stood tall as he swiped and snapped at the rogue. Eventually, the rogue spat at them and tore away from the fight, tail between their legs. Sandynose snorted before he turned to his sister. Blood stained his jaws and his cheek had a scratch on it. “Are you okay?” he asked, helping her to her paws.

Her wound was bleeding and it stung. “I’m fine,” she panted. “Are you?”

“You’re not fine,” Sandynose insisted, sniffing at her wound. “You need to see Echosong right away.”

“I can’t leave, I have to fight.”

“Are you birdbrained?” Birdwing joined her siblings. “You’re pregnant, Honeytail, you shouldn’t have left the nursery in the first place.”

Honeytail opened her jaws to defend herself but she was cut off by a screech. The three warriors turned to see Leafstar desperately swiping at three rogues. Sharpclaw threw himself into the fight, getting one warrior off his leader, scratching just above their eye, spitting. Ebonyclaw and Egg joined as well, taking the other rogues on.

Honeytail’s heart lurched when Leafstar fell. Her blood shined in the moonlight, dripping from her jaws onto the stone. One of the rogues yowled for a retreat and they all raced out of the gorge. No cat moved to chase after them. They all waited with bated breath as Echosong rushed to treat her mate.

Echosong sniffed at her fur, putting her ear to her chest as Sharpclaw paced across from her. “She’s losing a life,” she meowed.

Sharpclaw gave his medicine cat a frightened look. “Is she going to be okay?”

“Of course,” Echosong meowed. “StarClan will heal her up fine. She’ll be back with us soon.”

Frecklewish padded out of the medicine den her eyes hollow. “Sparrowheart and Patchfoot were killed,” she meowed, choking.

The Clan lowered their heads with grief. “Why would the rogues attack in the first place?” Egg asked.

Sandynose hissed from beside his sister. “This  _ must _ be Darktail’s work!” He turned a glare on Darktail, blue eyes narrow.

Darktail stayed calm as if he wasn’t even fazed by the tom’s harsh hiss. “I fought with SkyClan,” he meowed coolly.

Honeytail’s ears perked when Leafstar raised her head. “I saw him,” she meowed, her voice rasping. She tried to get to her paws but Echosong pressed against her, murmuring something into her mate’s ear. “He’s done nothing wrong.” Honeytail noticed a few scratched under the rogue’s pelt, blood staining his white fur.

“Egg, Solbrook, you two guard Darktail,” Sharpclaw meowed. “Firefern, Stormheart, Rabbitleap, and Ebonyclaw. Cherrytail, you and I will guard Leafstar’s den.”

Echosong shook her head. “I’m going to have Leafstar stay in the medicine den tonight.”

Sharpclaw’s eyes narrowed. “With  _ him _ ?”

“Very well. You two can guard my nest then.” Leafstar blinked at her deputy, seemingly grateful for him and Cherrytail. She limped down to the medicine den with Echosong’s help, greeting Darktail at the entrance and padding in with the rogue and two senior warriors behind her.

Frecklewish began milling around, checking her Clanmates for wounds. When she came across Honeytail, her eyes rounded. “You shouldn’t be fighting,” she meowed, beginning to chew dock and burdock root. Honeytail rolled her eyes but decided not to argue with her medicine cat.  _ Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’m useless _ . “Go get some rest,” Frecklewish meowed as she finished up and began working on Sandynose’s wounds.

Sandynose looked even angrier than ever, glaring at the medicine den. Honeytail sighed. She prayed that Sharpclaw and Sandynose weren’t right about Darktail being behind this attack.  _ Thank StarClan Maxie wasn’t here tonight, _ she though.  _ What would’ve happened to her if I let her join last night. _

The friend and family of Patchfoot and Sparrowheart crowded around their bodies in the center of camp. Honeytail’s heart ached for them.

\--------

Honeytail didn’t get much sleep that night. She tossed and turned in her nest before deciding to just stay up and watch the sunrise. Darktail was awake as well and he caught Honeytail’s eye. He smiled and blinked at her. It sent shivers down her spine but she nodded to him, trying to be polite. Why would he attack SkyClan? He had no reason, right?”

As the sun rose higher, the Clan woke up and Sharpclaw began sending out patrols. Firefern, Rabbitleap, Stormheart, and Plumwillow padded down into the camp and Honeytail’s heart thumped when she saw cats trailing them.  _ Rogues from last night? _ Then she recognized them. Waspwhisker, Hawkwing, and Pebblepaw. Their tails dragged and their eyes were dull.  _ What happened? _

Sharpclaw leaped down to greet them as Firefern and Stormheart went to get their mother. The Clan flocked around the returning warriors.

“Why are you back so early?”

“Did you find the other Clans?”

Leafstar rushed out of her den, her eyes sparkling. She stumbled down toward the warriors and stopped. She scanned them. “Where’s Billystorm?”

Hawkwing lowered his head and Pebblepaw looked as if she was holding back a wail. “Billystorm . . . didn’t make it,” Waspwhisker meowed, and his voice cracked.

The Clan went silent.  _ Billystorm? Dead?  _ Honeytail slumped her shoulders

Leafstar’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Waspwhisker. Her jaws opened and closed before she finally said something. “What happened?”

“We were attacked by badgers,” Waspwhisker explained. “He died a warrior’s death, protecting Pebblepaw. We buried him already, not too far away from the border.”

Firefern, Stormheart, and Solbrook shared glances. Echosong padded up to her mate and licked her shoulder. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

“I’m fine,” Leafstar said but her voice shook. “We’ll sit vigil for him tonight.” She blinked at Waspwhisker. “Waspwhisker, you’ll be training Pebblepaw from now on.”

Pebblepaw glanced at the senior warrior and he smiled at her. “I’ll try to live up to Billystorm, I promise.” They touched noses

Fear gripped at Honeytail’s heart. First the rogue attack killed Patchfoot and Sparrowheart, now Billystorm was dead.

“Shouldn’t we send out another patrol?” Darktail asked, stepping out of the medicine den. “Don’t you think that’s what Billystorm would want?”

Leafstar glared at the rogue. “You know nothing about Billystorm,” she spat. “Let us grieve, I’ll think about sending another patrol out tonight.”

Darktail’s fur bristled but he quickly smoothed it. “My apologies,” he meowed, dipping his head. He returned to the medicine den, his tailtip flicking.


	6. Chapter Five

Honeytail woke to a dry mouth and kits kicking at her stomach. She rolled onto her side to groom her stomach, hoping that would stop them, then got to her paws and stretched, flinching at the pain in her side. Frecklewish hand Echosong had treated her wound from the fight a few nights before, but it still ached when she moved. “Where are you going?” Birdwing’s voice made her jolt.

“I’m just going to get some water,” Honeytail assured her sister. “I’ll ask someone to come with and be back in a heartbeat, don’t worry.” Birdwing nodded and curled back up to sleep. Honeytail padded out of the den and toward the river just outside camp. Firefern was patrolling nearby. Her ears perked when she saw Honeytail, her tail bristling. Honeytail saw Bellaleaf behind Firefern, her green eyes round.

They relaxed when they recognized their Clanmate. “Hey,” Firefern meowed. Her eyes were still dull with sadness after the death of her father. Three days had passed since Billystorm joined StarClan. Pebblepaw continued her training despite her former mentor’s death. Waspwhisker seemed to be going easy on his new apprentice. Every cat was close to their mentor, Honeytail and Tinycloud were like sisters. Even after Honeytail was made an apprentice, they were still close. She couldn’t imagine losing her. “What are you doing out?”

“Just getting a drink,” Honeytail meowed.

We’ll come with you to the river,” Bellaleaf meowed. “It’s probably not the best idea to be alone outside of camp right now.”

“Yeah.” Honeytail knew that full well. She’d been so worried about meeting Maxie, afraid that a rogue might attack her.  _ Maxie has no idea how to defend herself,  _ she thought, digging her claws into the earth. “Thank you.”

Bellaleaf and Firefern brought the queen to the river. Honeytail crouched down and lapped at the water. The near-black moon and stars were shining in the river. It was a warm night but the water was cool on Honeytail’s tongue. Once she finished, she licked her lips. Firefern’s ears perked.

“Did you hear that?” she hissed. Bellaleaf and Honeytail shared a glance. “I heard a twig snap.”

The two warriors surrounded the queen, their claws unsheathed. Honeytail jolted, yowling when a cat leaped out of the bushes, their claws outstretched. The rogue bowled into Firefern and snarled, digging her teeth into her throat.

“Firefern!” Bellaleaf cried, throwing herself into the rogue and scratching at their sides. Another two rogues joined the fight, attacking the warriors. Honeytail crouched at the bank of the river, her eyes wide She watched fur fly and blood shine in the moonlight. One rogue turned to her, blood matting their fur. Honeytail unsheathed her claws as they approached her, snarling.

Before the rogue could attack, Sandynose leaped onto them, pushing them over into the river. Egg had joined the fight, too, helping Firefern. The four warriors chased them off, hissing in their direction. Sandynose sniffed at his sister, his eyes wide. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she meowed. “They didn’t touch me.”

“But you could’ve reopened your scratch.”

“I’m not bleeding, am I?” Honeytail snapped and Sandynose took a step back, surprised. He shook his head.

“We need to get back to camp,” Egg meowed, “the rogues are attacking there, too.”

Sandynose nodded. “I recognized some of the rogues who attacked us a few nights back.”

“Again?” Bellaleaf looked shocked. “How many rogues are there?”

“A lot more than before,” Egg meowed. “Let’s go.” They followed Egg to the camp. Honeytail’s heart sank when she saw Egg was right. The SkyClan warriors were almost outnumbered by the rogues. Honeytail unsheathed her claws, about to leap into the fight when Sandynose stopped her.

“You can’t fight,” he meowed firmly.

“Then what  _ can _ I do? I can’t just sit here.”

“Go to the nursery and help get the kits and Mintstem out of camp,” Egg meowed.

Honeytail dug her claws into the earth but nodded. “I’ll come too,” Sandynose said firmly. “I want to help Birdwing’s kits.”

The siblings ran down to the nursery, avoiding fights as they went. Firefern had thrown herself into a battle with a rogue who was tormenting Stormheart. Egg helped Rabbitleap fight off two rogues, back-to-back, swiping at their faces. Honeytail slipped into the nursery first, bristling when she saw a ginger rogue in there already. They had backed Birdwing, Mintstem, and the kits into a corner. Birdwing was guarding the pregnant queen and her kits, hissing and swiping at them.

“I’ll take the rogue, you help Birdwing and Mintstem,” Sandynose meowed, unsheathing his claws.

As Sandynose pounced onto the rogue, Honeytail slunk around to the queens and kits. “Come on, we have to go.” Birdwing ushered her kits out of the den, followed by Mintstem and Honeytail. Sandynose gave the rogue one last good scratch before following the queens out, still ready for anyone to attack them.

“What- what’s going on?” Fidgetkit asked, their eyes wide with fear. “What’re the rogues doing here?”

“Hush, dear,” Birdwing murmured. “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.”

Curlykit, Snipkit, and Fidgetkit shared scared glances but didn’t say anymore. They made their way to the top of the gorge, nervous of any rogues seeing them. Finally, they climbed over the lip of the gorge, panting. Honeytail’s stomach was cramping. Mintstem didn’t seem like they could walk much further either. Tinycloud and Parsleypaw were already there circling around the queens. “Are you okay?” Tinycloud asked.

“Birdwing watch out!”

Parsleypaw’s waning came too late. A rogue barreled into Honeytail’s sister with a screech, burying their claws into her fur. Tinycloud leaped to her paws, throwing herself at the rogue. But they swatted her away, leaving a deep scratch across her throat. The rogue snarled at Tinycloud. “We’ll chase each of you off this land!” they hissed. “Darktail will kill all of you if need be.”

Honeytail stared in shock, her fur bristling.  _ Darktail. _

“I knew it!” Sandynose yowled. “I  _ knew _ that cat shouldn’t have been trusted!”

While they were distracted, Birdwing threw the rogue off with her back paws. She pushed them onto their back and dug her fangs into their throat. The cat twitched and swiped their claws, trying to catch Birdwing’s fur, and fell still. Birdwing panted. “Are you okay?” Honeytail asked, pressing against her sister.

“I’m fine,” Birdwing meowed, her breath still heavy. “I just need rest.”

“Look,” Sandynose meowed. He stood at the edge of the gorge, staring down at Leafstar’s den, his eyes narrow. Honeytail joined him. White fur caught her eye and her tail whipped back and forth. 

“We have to go help her,” Honeytail meowed firmly. She turned to Birdwing. “Stay here and stay low.”

Honeytail scrambled down the side of the gorge, careful not to slip, Sandynose close behind her. Despite how much her stomach hurt, she continued running. Nearly every cat in the camp was fighting. Pebblepaw and Waspwhisker were leading Parsleypaw to the medicine den, fighting off any rogues who got too close. Cloudmist, Bloomwhisker, and Hawkwing were fighting side by side and she saw Sharpclaw and Cherrytail not far away from them. She crouched down when she reached Leafstar’s den. Sandynose’s ears perked when he heard yowling inside. “Stay here,” he meowed as he leaped in. Honeytail’s heart thumped in her chest. She couldn’t bear to look inside.  _ They won’t be able to fight him alone. _ If she could, she’d join the fight. But she couldn’t risk her kits’ lives again.

She turned and rushed down to where Sharpclaw was still fighting with his mate. He had a nasty scratch across his face. “Sharpclaw! Leafstar needs help.”

Sharpclaw’s eyes widened. He scrambled up to Leafstar’s den, Honeytail on his heels. Sandynose had dragged Darktail out of the den. Sharpclaw threw himself into the fight, scratching at Darktail’s face. Honeytail stiffened when Darktail shook Sandynose off him and caught Sharpclaw, pushing him onto his back. He took Sharpclaw’s throat in his jaws and bit down. Sharpclaw scratched at his stomach with his back claws but it was no use. The deputy jerked and went limp. Darktail dropped him, blood dripping from Sharpclaw’s jaws to the stone.

Cries of horror sounded from the crowd of fighting cats. Bloomwhisker and Cloudmist bowled into Darktail from behind, and, despite how much he thrashed, they were able to hold them down, Cloudmist holding his scruff. Hatred blazed in their eyes. Darktail glared at Leafstar as she limped toward him. She was shaking, her eyes slits. “What do you want?” she snarled. “Why are you doing this to us?”

Darktail spat at her, his tail bristling. “I’ve lived by this gorge for moons now,” he growled, “and I lived near the lake even longer. I know what you Clan cats have done to the loners like me and my kin. We’re  _ finished.  _ Starting with SkyClan, I will claw the Clans down.”

“You’ll never win,” Leafstar hissed.

Darktail snorted, a twisted grin on his face. Honeytail shivered. He’d always seemed so calm and kind. Now, seeing him covered in blood and snarling at her leader, Honeytail realized the whole Clan was wrong in trusting him. She remembered her conversation with her a few days before.  _ Did he really ever want to help me?  _ “I believe I already have,” he meowed. “My rogues outnumber you. And if you don’t do as I say, we’ll never leave you alone. We’ll pick you off one by one. There’s no way Echosong and Frecklewish could heal you fast enough to keep fighting.” Honeytail glanced around the clearing. Cats were limping and slumped over, bleeding. Rabbitleap and Egg were nudging at Bouncefire, who was limp. Her heart ached and she had to look away. They could all be killed if they kept fighting.

Honeytail’s stomach churned. He was right. Every warrior turned to Leafstar. It was as if everyone, everything was holding its breath for that one moment. Leafstar grit her teeth then sagged her shoulders. “What do you want from us?”

“Leave,” Darktail snapped. Leafstar stared in shock. “Leave or die. Your choice.”

The Can cats hissed but Leafstar looked torn. “Very well,” she meowed, her voice cracking.

“What?” Sandynose gasped.

“We’re actually leaving? Cloudmist shared a shocked glance with her sister.

“This is better than watching our Clanmates die,” Leafstar snapped, her eyes narrow. “SkyClan! Retreat!”

The Clan stood in silence as if not wanting to admit defeat. Then Leafstar turned and began climbing up the rock ledges, out of camp. Bloomwhisker followed her next, her tail dragging. Sagenose and Stormheart, then Cherrytail and Cloudmist, who were carrying Sharpclaw. The deputy’s mate’s eyes were hollow. Eventually, the whole Clan was following. Rabbitleap and Egg carried Bouncefire’s body out of camp. Honeytail sent a harsh glare to Darktail. “Curse you,” she snarled, before following her leader out of camp.

Hawkwing scrambled up and he stomped up to his leader, his teeth showing. “Are we really going to give up, just like that? What are we going to do now? We  _ have _ to fight for the gorge.”

Leafstar held his gaze, lifting her head. “If we stay behind, the whole of SkyClan could be wiped out.” Hawkwing tried to stammer out another argument, but Leafstar cut him off: “Enough. I’m sorry, Hawkwing, but there’s nothing more we can do. We’ll bury our dead then leave SkyClan territory.” She blinked at Rabbitleap. “Go fetch the daylight warriors.” The brown tom nodded and bounded away toward the Twolegplace.

“Tinycloud’s badly hurt!” Pebblepaw shouted, standing over her mother.

Echosong left Frecklewish’s side, who had a nasty cut on her leg, to run over to the white she-cat. The deep scratch she had gotten earlier was still bleeding. She was laying on her side, digging her claws into the dirt. Echosong sniffed at her wound before chewing up her herbs, licking them onto her and putting cobwebs on it. Tinycloud let out a sigh, relaxing a bit her chest was still heaving.

As Echosong treated Ebonyclaw, the daylight warriors joined them. MacGyver’s eyes widened and he cried out when he saw his dead mate, slumping over. Ebonyclaw stood next to Pebblepaw and Parsleypaw.

“Is she going to be okay?” Ebonyclaw asked, her eyes wide, but Echosong didn’t answer.

“So where  _ are  _ we going?” Frecklewish asked.

“Before the rogues attacked,” Echosong meowed, “I had a strange dream. I saw a lake, with stars glittering in the water. It was all so clear, I think it was a vision from StarClan. I think that’s where the Clans are.”

Leafstar looked thoughtful. “Very well, that’s where we’ll go,” Leafstar meowed, sounding determined.

“But some of us are injured,” Frecklewish reminded her leader. “I want to stay behind. We’ll stay in the Twolegplace, maybe the barn. I’ll care for them.”

“Frecklewish-”

Echosong was cut off by her former apprentice. “I’m staying, no matter what you say.” She brushed her muzzle against Echosong’s, touching her nose to her muzzle. “I’ll miss you, though. I promise we’ll see you again in no time.”

Leafstar blinked at her. “We’ll send a patrol after you when we reach the lake.”

Frecklewish dipped her head low to her leader in thanks.

“I need to stay,” Egg meowed, their eyes round with sadness. Honeytail noticed a scratch on their stomach. “I wish I could come with you.”

“I’m going to stay, with my housefolk,” Harveymoon sighed. “I’m sorry, I can’t leave them behind. I’ll miss them too much.”

“I understand.” Leafstar gave her friend a lick on the cheek and they blinked at her, turning and rushing back toward the Twolegplace. Honeytail’s heart ached as she watched Harveymoon disappear. They weren’t close but they had always been kind to her.

“I’m going to stay with Tinycloud,” Ebonyclaw murmured. Parsleypaw nodded in agreement, as though he was unable to say anything.

Nettlesplash stepped forward. “Mintstem and I are going to stay, in case they give birth.”

“What about you, Honeytail?” Birdwing asked.

“I’m going,” Honeytail meowed firmly. “I can make the journey, I promise.”

Leafstar nodded and her eyes sparkled. “I don’t doubt you. Come, let’s find a place to bury our dead.” Everyone followed her. After this, they’d part ways.

They padded deeper into the forest and found a nice clearing. Here, the sun always bathed the trees and grass. They’d be safe and warm here. Honeytail watched Cherrytail, Bloomwhisker, Cloudmist, and Hawkwing dig Sharpclaw’s grave while MacGyver, Ebonyclaw, Echosong, and Sagenose dug up Bouncefire’s.

Once they were finished, the Clan laid their dead inside, scratching dirt over them. Echosong lowered her head. “Here lies Bouncefire and Sharpclaw,” she began, closing her eyes. “They died a warrior’s death against Darktail’s rogues and will live happily in StarClan’s sky, with Silverpelt’s fur to warm them, and Gray Wing’s stars to guide them. May they find good hunting and may their birds be fat with worms.” The Clan purred at her words. MacGyver stared down at his mate’s grave, his eyes watery. Tinycloud pressed against him. “May we all remember that one day, we will walk beside them once more.” She lifted her head. “Does anyone else want to speak?”

Before any cat could answer, Leafstar’s ears perked. She got to her paws and unsheathed her claws. “Who’s there?” she called toward the bushes.

Two rogues padded out, one a long-haired black tom and the other a tortoiseshell moggy. The tom’s eyes narrowed. “You’d best be going,” he meowed, his voice tart. “Darktail will be sending a patrol after you to make sure you’ve left.”

Leafstar snarled at him “We’re leaving,” she sniffed. The rogues shared a glance but left, their tails lashing. She nodded to Frecklewish. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Frecklewish murmured, her eyes round. She flicked her tail to the wounded cats, helping Tinycloud to her paws, and led them to the barn.

Hawkwing gave Leafstar a look, as if pleading to stay and fight, but as she walked away, he followed just like the rest of the Clan. As they made their way to the river, a raindrop landed on Honeytail’s back. Lightning crackled in the gray clouds and thunder rumbled soon after. Fidgetkit squeaked and pressed against their mother, eyes wide with fear.

“The river might flood,” Echosong meowed. “We should be careful.”

Leafstar nodded to her mate. “We’ll get as far as we can before we find a good place to rest.”

Honeytail gasped, her ears perking.  _ Maxie! _ In all the commotion, she’d completely forgotten about her mate. She looked behind her, toward the Twolegplace.  _ Maybe I can go get her before we leave. _

“Honeytail?” Sandynose called. He looked over his shoulder at his sister, Plumwillow beside him. “Are you coming?”

Honeytail sent the Twolegplace one last longing glance.  _ If I hold them up, the rogues might find us. _ Sadness threatened to overwhelm her and make her cry. “Yes,” she murmured and she began following her Clanmates once more. Her tail drooped. She was cold and sad and she just wished Maxie were there with them. “Yes, I’m coming.”


	7. Chapter Six

The SkyClan warriors had reached the end of their territory. The rain was still pouring and thunder cracked through the sky. Honeytail could feel the thunder in her paws. The warriors were wet. Honeytail shivered. Her fur stuck, her sides, slicked from the rain. They had reached the river, which raged, its body fuller than ever.

“We’ll stop here for the night,” Leafstar called over the rain. “We’ll sit under the bridge, higher up, so the water won’t reach us.” The Clan padded under the bridge. Here it was dry, not warm, but dry. The warriors shook themselves and huddled together for warmth. Sagenose, Stormheart, and Birdwing dried their kits, who complained about being able to do it themselves.

“Let’s all get some well-deserved rest,” Leafstar sighed. “It’s been a long night. Echosong, Fallowfern, Waspwhisker, and MacGyver, please come with me. I need to speak with you.” The senior warriors padded up to their leader and to a place where they could speak where no one could hear them.

“Hey.” Honeytail jumped at Sandynose’s voice. She turned to her brother, her eyes wide. “Sorry. I just wanted to ask if you were okay.”

Honeytail sighed and shrugged. “Honestly, I have no idea. I’m so tired, I just want to go to sleep in a comfortable nest. What about you?”

“Pretty much the same.” Sandynose chuckled. “I was looking forward to sleeping with Plumwillow in our nest tonight.” He shuffled his paws. “It’s the worst timing but . . . Plumwillow is pregnant.”

Honeytail blinked and smiled. “That’s good!” she meowed. “Congratulations. At least we have something to be happy about.”

“Yeah, well, I just hope they’re born after we find the other Clans.” He looked up as if he were sending a prayer to StarClan. “One day, our kits will be playing together. I can’t believe we’re all going to have kittens soon.”

“Me neither.” It felt as if it were yesterday that she, Sandynose, and Birdwing were in the nursery, being fostered by Fallowfern. She’d felt so misplaced when she saw young as if she didn’t believe she should even  _ be _ a Clan cat.  _ I wonder what life would’ve been like if we were loners.  _ Her heart ached.  _ Maybe if I was, I’d be with Maxie. _

Honeytail curled up to sleep with Sandynose beside her Not far away, Birdwing, Sagenose, and Stormheart curled up with their kits in the middle to keep them warm. Firefern and Bellaleaf were murmuring to one another far away. Leafstar and the senior warriors still spoke in hushed voices, Rabbitleap groomed MacGyver’s fur as if to comfort him, while Solbrook whispered something to him, his eyes round with sympathy.

Honeytail drifted. She wished this was all just a dream. She wished she’d wake up in the nursery in the morning, comfy and dry and warm. Curling up tighter, she forced herself not to start crying as she longed to be by Maxie’s side, on the Twoleg fence.  _ I wish I had let her come to SkyClan. I wish she were here. I miss her, I miss her, I miss her.  _ And she fell asleep.

\--------

Honeytail jolted awake when she heard screaming. Birdwing was crying out, waking up all the warriors. “My kits!” she cried. “My kits are gone!”

Honeytail’s eyes widened. How could they have left? They were all sleeping in between their parents, how could they have snuck off? Honeytail got to her paws and rushed over to her sister. Leafstar had been woken by the queen’s shriek as well. She looked thoughtful, her eyes darting left to right. “Birdwing, Pebblepaw, Hawkwing, and Sandynose can look for them. Look along the river and, for StarClan’s sake, be careful.”

“I’m coming too!” Honeytail insisted. She  _ had _ to help find her niblings.

“Us too!” Stormheart meowed beside Sagenose. “They’re our kits too.”

“Very well.” Leafstar nodded to them. “The river is still overflown, don’t slip in.”

The warriors began sniffing around for the kits along the riverbank. “There’s no way we’ll scent them,” Sagenose meowed. “We should split up.”

“Absolutely not,” Sandynose shouted over the storm. “We have to stick together-”

Shrill shouts cut the tom off. Honeytail’s ears perked and she followed the sounds of kits yowling. “Over here!” she called. She saw two, sleek bodies near the river. Water lapped at their paws and their whiskers dripped with wet. They shivered profusely and cried out toward the river.

Birdwing rushed forward. She licked Fidgetkit’s head and held Curlykit close. “Oh, my babies,” she sniffled. “Oh, StarClan, I thought you were gone.”

“Where’s Snipkit?” Stormheart meowed, looking around for her daughter.

“We- we- we were just trying to help!” Fidgetkit cried. “We nev-never meant for her to fall into the ri-ver.” They were choking and stammering, their breath hitching. They lowered their head and wailed.

“We just wanted to hunt for the Clan, and our moms and dad.” Curlykit sniffed. “It all went so wrong.”

Stormheart stiffened. Sagenose scanned the river for any signs of their kitten. “Snipkit!” he shrieked. “Snipkit, can you hear me?”

“There!” Hawkwing pointed to a lump of fur on one of the rocks. Honeytail recognized Snipkit’s tortoiseshell fur. “How are we going to get her now? She’s so far away-” Before he could even finish his sentence, Pebblepaw leaped into the river. Hawkwing yowled but didn’t jump in after her. She was swimming against the current, her strong legs keeping her going. She dipped under the water only once before she reached the rock, gasping and spluttering. Honeytail ran back and forth across the bank, fear flashing through her.

_ Mousebrain! _ Honeytail wanted to scold the apprentice.  _ Birdbrained fool! How could she just jump in without a plan? _ What would Tinycloud do if she came back to the Clan only to find out her precious daughter had drowned.

Pebblepaw grabbed Snipkit’s scruff. Even if the kit was nearly as big as her, she was able to drag her back to shore. Water crashed over her and she flailed but she kept going. Finally, she reached the riverbank. She gave Snipkit to Birdwing. “Help,” she rasped. She scrambled to try to get out of the water. Before any cat could rescue her, a huge wave crashed into her, pushing her down.

Hawkwing looked as if he was going to hop in after her but Sandynose beat him to it. He splashed into the river, swimming after the apprentice. Farther downstream, he broke the surface and shoved Pebblepaw out of the water. Honeytail bounded over to help him out as well but he was swept away by the current. “Sandynose!” she cried after him. He was washed away farther and farther downstream. Honeytail tried to chase him but Stormheart stopped her.

“There’s no way you’ll reach him,” she meowed, her voice firm. “We’ll search for him in the morning.”

“Are you mousebrained?” Hawkwing meowed, his eyes wide with fear. “You could’ve been killed.”

Pebblepaw ignored him, looking at Birdwing. “Is she okay?” she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Birdwing and her mates lapped at Snipkit’s fur the wrong way, trying to warm her up. Then Sagenose and Stormheart shared looks. Birdwing continued to lick at her. “Dove,” Stormheart murmured. “Dear, she’s gone.”

“No,” Birdwing mewled. “No, she can’t be- she can’t be dead.” Birdwing shook her kitten. “Snipkit, wake up. Please, wake up.” She squeezed her eyes shut. Honeytail’s fur bristled. She’d never seen her sister so upset before.  _ How horrible this must be _ , she thought, choking back a whimper as she stared at Snipkit’s limp body.

“Let’s give them some time alone,” Honeytail murmured to Hawkwing and Pebblepaw. The two young cats glanced at the mates, their eyes wide, before following Honeytail back toward the bridge.

Hawkwing nudged Pebblepaw. “As mousebrained as it was, you were really brave,” he meowed.

Pebblepaw lowered her head. “Thanks. Honestly I wasn’t really thinking.” Hawkwing purred, blinking at her. Honeytail smiled at them.  _ At least they’re getting along. _

Leafstar paced back and forth back at the bridge and the Clan murmured to one another. The leader’s ears perked when she saw her warriors. Honeytail lowered her head and shook it. She explained what happened to the kits and Sandynose, her chest tightening. Saying it out loud was like admitting defeat. “Birdwing, Sagenose, and Stormheart are still by the river. They’ll join us soon.”

“We’ll search for Sandynose at the shore in the morning.” She flicked her tail to Echosong. “And we’ll guide Snipkit’s body to StarClan then, too.” Echosong nodded.

Birdwing, Stormheart, and Sagenose padded back into camp with Fidgetkit and Curlykit behind him, their heads low. “We buried her by the river,” Sagenose rasped.

The Clan murmured their condolences. Birdwing turned to Pebblepaw. “Thank you for saving her,” she meowed. “Even if it was too late.”

Pebblepaw dipped her head. “I’d never leave a kit to die.”

“You were very brave,” Stormheart meowed.

“Sandynose would be very proud,” Honeytail put in.

Leafstar looked thoughtful. She leaped up onto a heap of dirt and called a Clan meeting. “Pebblepaw, you’ve been nothing but brave since you left on your journey to find the other Clans. I’m proud to have a cat like you in my Clan. If your family were here, they’d be just as proud.” She blinked at Waspwhisker. “Do you think she’s ready?”

Waspwhisker blinked at his apprentice. “Yes,” he meowed.

“Very well. I, Leafstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the way of your noble code and I commend her as a warrior in her turn.” She blinked at the apprentice, her eyes shining. “Pebblepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Pebblepaw puffed up her chest. “I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Pebblepaw from this moment on, you will be known as Pebblestorm. You’ve always been a bright and courageous cat and I see Billystorm every passing day. In this time, you must be as strong as you were when you save Snipkit. We all must be strong.”

Pebblestorm looked as if she was about to burst. “Thank you, Leafstar.”

“Pebblestorm! Pebblestorm!” the Clan cried, circling around the new warrior and giving her their congratulation. Hawkwing nudged her and beamed at her, saying something Honeytail couldn’t hear about the rain.

“Now,” Leafstar went on, “let’s get some rest. Pebblestorm, as always, you will sit a silent vigil to protect us from any danger that may come our way.” She jumped and greeted Echosong with a nuzzle. They curled up together. Pebblestorm said one last goodbye to Hawkwing before sitting and staring out toward the river, her ears perked with alert.

Birdwing purred. “Remember when we became warriors?” she murmured.

Honeytail nodded, her heart warming. “Yes,” she purred. “Sandynose was so excitable. He alerted Leafstar just because he heard a mouse in the bushes.” She remembered her brother, embarrassed as his former mentor, Sparrowheart, told him off for scaring the whole Clan. “I’ll sleep with you guys tonight,” she meowed.

Birdwing nodded and spread out with her mates. Honeytail lay beside them, curling up and putting her tailtip to her nose. Though anxiety gripped at her after the death of her niece, she drifted off quickly, enjoying her few moments of silence and peace.

\--------

Stormheart woke Honeytail with a nudge. Honeytail jolted, blinking up at her sister’s mate. “Good morning,” Stormheart meowed, dropping a mouse in front of the queen. “Let’s get up to the bridge, nearly everyone’s already up there.” Honeytail glanced around and noticed that only MacGyver and Rabbitleap were under the bridge now, grooming each other. Rabbitleap was murmuring something to him, his eyes round with worry. “Come on.”

Honeytail grabbed the mouse and followed Stormheart up to the top of the bridge. “What about MacGyver and Rabbitleap?” she murmured.

“They’ll be just a second. Rabbitleap has been consoling him all morning, they’ll be up at their own time.”

Leafstar noticed her daughter and Honeytail and she blinked, calling a Clan meeting around the bridge. “Today, we’re naming two kits apprentices,” she meowed, blinking at Fidgetkit and Curlykit. The two were still sad after the death of their sister but tried to look strong, their eyes shining. “Fidgetkit and Curlykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. Curlykit, from this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Curlypaw. Your mentor will be Hawkwing.” Hawkwing looked surprised but he padded up to his apprentice and stood beside her, his eyes bright. “Fidgetkit, from this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Fidgetpaw. Your mentor will be-”

Fidgetpaw cut her off. “Actually,” they meowed, their voice quivering. “I was thinking and I want to be a medicine cat.”

Leafstar blink, sharing a glance with Echosong. Echosong looked surprised as well. “Very well. Echosong, are you okay with mentoring another apprentice?”

“Of course,” Echosong meowed. “I’d be honored.”

“Fidgetpaw, your mentor will be Echosong. May they pass down all they know onto you both.”

The Clan called the apprentices’ new names. Their parents looked at them with pride shining in their eyes. Honeytail smiled. “I hope I’ll have an apprentice soon,” she meowed as she watched the apprentice touch noses with their mentors.

Stormheart nudged her with her shoulder. “You should probably just focus on your kits for now.”

“You’re right,” Honeytail sighed. “Hopefully one day.” She smiled as she thought of Maxie.  _ Will she ever become a mentor? _ She wondered.

“We have more business to attend to,” Leafstar meowed. “I didn’t name a new deputy after Sharpclaw died. I have until moonhigh tonight but I already know who I want to choose. I say these words StarClan, so that they may hear and approve of my choice. Waspwhisker will be the new deputy of SkyClan.”

  
  


His Clan meowed their congratulations to the senior warrior and he nodded to his leader. “I’ll be the deputy SkyClan needs,” he meowed. Fallowfern nudged her mate.

“Besides that, my senior warriors and I have decided we’ll be heading to Barley’s barn,” Leafstar went on. “Bellaleaf and Rileypool said they know the way from when Ravenpaw and Barley lead them here.”

Bellaleaf and Rileypool shuffled their paws, as if nervous. It must be scary to have the weight of the Clan on their shoulders. MacGyver padded up to the bridge with Rabbitleap behind him. His shoulders were slumped and his tail dragged. The Clan watched him pass by and up to Leafstar. He blinked at his leader.

“I’ve made a decision,” he murmured, his voice rasping. “If I’m staying in SkyClan, I want a proper warrior name. I already have one in mind.”

“It’s not conventional for cats to name themselves,” Leafstar meowed, glancing at Echosong. “But I suppose these past few days have been nothing but unconventional. What would you like to name yourself?”

“Blackfire,” he meowed. “After Bouncefire. I want to remember him every time someone speaks my name.”

Leafstar smiled. “Then by the powers of StarClan, your name will be Blackfire. StarClan honors your kindness and loyalty and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan.”

Blackfire’s dull eyes lit up and he dipped his head to his leader. “Thank you,” he meowed and the Clan called him name. Honeytail purred.  _ StarClan, I wish Maxie were here, _ she thought, her shoulder slumping. She glanced up at the sky. Please, _ let her find us. _


	8. Chapter Seven

Three days had passed since they left SkyClan territory. Honeytail’s stomach ached as she walked next to Plumwillow. Guilt swamped her every time she had to ask Leafstar to stop, despite how many times her leader and medicine cat assured her she wasn’t bothering anyone. Since they left their territory, they’d been sleeping under trees and bushes in underground caves.

Even if they were chased out of their territory, the Clan tried to stay positive. Hawkwing and Pebblestorm had revealed they were mates. Honeytail wouldn’t be surprised if they had kits early, though Echosong may advise them against it since Pebblestorm was as small as her mother. Plumwillow was showing signs of her pregnancy already, her stomach ever so slightly round. Echosong told Honeytail she’d be giving birth in about a moon. Honeytail wished it were sooner. She was sick and tired of morning sickness and drowsiness.

Rileypool and Bellaleaf had assured them they were nearly at Barley’s barn, saying they recognized the landscape. They’d woken up early, before the sun had risen, and walked all day. Honeytail’s paws ached.

“Let’s stop for now,” Echosong meowed. “We need to rest and hunt.”

Honeytail let out a sigh of relief as she lay down. “Yes. Waspwhisker, send out some patrols,” Leafstar ordered. She lay down with Firefern, grooming herself. The Clan crowded around Waspwhisker as he began sending out patrols.

Stormheart joined the queens and smiled at them. “I’ll catch you two something fat, okay?” she purred and padded out of the clearing with Sagenose and Rabbitleap.

Honeytail gave her a grateful blink and began sharing tongue with Plumwillow. The gray queen hadn’t been well since her mate disappeared. They’d walked up and down the bank and the river but he was nowhere to be found. “Are you feeling okay?” Honeytail murmured, looking her in the eyes.

Plumwillow shrugged. “Fine, I supposed,” she meowed. “Just tired.”

“I understand.”  _ I know what it’s like to lose a mate. _ Honeytail lay her head on her paws, huffing a sigh. “Everything will be okay.”

“I hope so.” Plumwillow stared wistfully at nothing in particular. Then she shook out her pelt. “Sorry for being a downer. Thank you for being here for me. I’ll tell my kits all about Sandynose if he’s not back before they’re born.”

The moon rose and the hunting patrols returned. Curlypaw, who had been hunting with Hawkwing and Pebblestorm, ran up to the queens with a bird in her jaws. She dropped it at their paws. “These are for you,” she meowed. “I caught it on my own.”

Honeytail purred. “Congratulations,” she meowed. “Hawkwing must be proud.”

“And your parents,” Plumwillow added. Curlypaw puffed out her chest. “Why don’t you go tell them?” Curlypaw nodded and bounded over to where Sagenose, Stormheart, and Birdwing were sitting. Despite how tired she looked, Birdwing beamed at her daughter, licking her cheek. Fidgetpaw wasn’t that far away from them with Echosong and they called something over to her, giving her a big smile. “It must be hard for them,” Plumwillow sighed, laying her head on her paws, “after losing Snipkit, I mean.”

Honeytail’s heart ached for her sister. Her mates were trying so hard to be optimistic for her but she’d often only lay in her nest, her blue eyes dull. She avoided Honeytail while they walked and feigned happiness when she was around. It seemed only Sagenose and Stormheart could comfort her.  _ At least she has them, _ Honeytail thought, laying her head down. She watched Birdwing curl up with her mates and kits before closing her eyes and drifting off.

\--------

The sun beat down on Honeytail. Her mouth was dry, they hadn’t had anything to drink since the day before and her pads were wet from the heat. Fidgetpaw and Curlypaw complained about being thirsty as well and Stormheart had to hush them, telling them they’d reach Barley’s barn soon. Honeytail had prayed all morning they were right and it seemed StarClan heard her.

A Twoleg structure loomed in the distance. Honeytail’s head perked.  _ That looks like the barn near the gorge. Could it be . . . ? _

“There it is!” Bellaleaf cried. “That’s Barley’s barn! I’d recognize it anywhere.”

Honeytail’s heart soared. The Clan made their way toward their way toward their barn, their pawsteps quick and prickling with excitement. _Finally,_ _we can rest._ They avoided the dogs that slept near the Twoleg den and stiffened when a monster growled across the field. Honeytail had never seen a monster that didn’t hunt on Thunderpaths.

When they reached the barn, Leafstar raised her tail as a warning. “We’re not sure Barley still lives here,” she meowed. “Let me go in first, to see if anyone inside is hostile.” Their leader snuck into the barn and the Clan waited, holding their breath.

Honeytail’s heart was thumping. She had only met Barley once when Ravenpaw and he brought Bellaleaf and Rileypool to the Clans. They had been so kind when they visited and it was heartbreaking when the black cat died. They lived on in every SkyClan cat’s hearts, though, especially Bellaleaf and Rileypool’s. The two former kittypets would often visit their grave and mourn.

Leafstar poked her head out of the entrance of the barn, her eyes sparkling. “It’s okay to come in,” she meowed. Her Clan shared glances before padding into the barn. Inside, a black-and-white tom sat in the center of the barn. His fur was graying with age. He blinked at them, smiling.

“Howdy,” he meowed. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Uncle Barley!” Rileypool yowled and he and his sister rushed up to him, hugging him.

Barley purred, licking her cheeks. “I’ve missed both of you, too,” he meowed. Just like the last time they’d seen him, the tom had a strange accent, nothing like Honeytail had ever heard before. Ravenpaw had had it as well. “What’re y’all doing so far from the gorge?”

Leafstar shared a glance with Waspwhisker, then lowered her head. “We were driven out of our territory,” she meowed, “by a horrid rogue. We’ve been travelling for a few days to find the other Clans. Would you happen to know where they went?”

“All I know is that they were heading toward the setting sun. They said they were going to find the ocean.” Barley blinked as the SkyClan cats lowered their tails in defeat.  _ That’s so vague, _ Honeytail thought.  _ How will we know where they’re living now? _ “If you’d like, you can stay in my barn for a while and rest up. It’s always nice to have visitors since Ravenpaw passed.” His eyes glassed over.

Leafstar blinked at her friend. “We’ll keep you company,” she promised. She flicked her tail to Waspwhisker. “Send out some hunting patrols. Some cats can hunt out in the fields, while others can hunt around here.” The deputy nodded and jumped up onto a pile of hay. The warriors and apprentices gathered around him while Honeytail and Plumwillow sat in the corner of the barn.

“I saw a pool of water from the rain a few nights back,” Plumwillow meowed. “Let’s go get something to drink.” They padded out of the barn together. White clouds began covering the sun, making the air cool. Honeytail breathed in the air, filling her lungs with the fresh scents.  _ I’m so glad Greenleaf is here, _ she thought. She remembered when she was a kit, she, Sandynose, and Birdwing would all splash in the river that ran inside the gorge to cool off while Fallowfern watched from afar. Their fur would stick up when they got out and Honeytail’s teeth would chatter. Even on the hottest days, the river was cold. It wasn’t until Fallowfern would groom her that she warmed up again, curling up into her foster mother's belly to nap.

The pool of rainwater was small, droplets still drooped from the slant of the roof of the barn, dripping into the pool. Honeytail lapped at it and, finally, her mouth and tongue were no longer dry. Once she was finished, she licked her lips from her whiskers. “Thank StarClan this water was still here,” she meowed. Plumwillow took a drink as well, letting out a sigh of relief.

Most of the hunting patrols were leaving the den as Honeytail and Plumwillow padded back in while the others hunted inside. Curlypaw was stalking a mouse that sniffed around the hay, Hawkwing and Birdwing watching from afar. Birdwing gave her daughter a proud smile when she leaped on top of it, killing it with a bite to its neck. Curlypaw lifted her head to show them, her eyes sparkling.

Stormheart padded over to Honeytail, a mouse in her jaws. “You two should eat up,” she meowed. “You’ve been walking for a long time without anything to eat.”

Honeytail blinked at her. “Thank you,” she meowed. “It seems Curlypaw is as good a hunter as you now.” She glanced at the apprentice, who was seemingly being praised by her mentor, her eyes shining with excitement.

Stormheart purred as she looked at her daughter. “I’m so proud of her,” she meowed and Honeytail could see the love in her eyes. “She’s got that from Sagenose and Birdwing, too. She reminds me so much of them.”

“She reminds me of you, too, when you were an apprentice,” Plumwillow laughed. “Sandynose always told me how much of a pain in the tail you were.” Plumwillow faltered as she mentioned her missing mate, lowering her head. “But he said he loved mentoring you, you know. You were his first apprentice, after all.”

Stormheart blinked at her. “He was a great mentor,” she meowed. “I wouldn’t be the cat I am today without him.”

Plumwillow didn’t say anymore, her grief showing in her eyes. Honeytail licked her shoulder. “We’ll see Sandynose again,” she meowed. She hoped she was telling the truth. She missed her brother, too, with an ache.

\--------

The night came and passed and Honeytail woke to the sound of Leafstar calling a Clan meeting. The Clan gathered around her. Honeytail sat, her tail wrapping around her paws. Barley watched from afar, Hawkwing and Pebblestorm sat together, grooming each other’s fur, while Curlypaw sat with her family, chatting with Fidgetpaw. Plumwillow sat beside Honeytail, sitting with her legs tucked under her chest. Leafstar stood on a tall pile of hay with Waspwhisker and Echosong beside her. Barley watched from afar, splayed out in a patch of sun.

“I wanted to stay with Barley a while longer than this,” Leafstar began as murmurs died down, “but, since we know where the Clans are now, I think it’s time for us to begin our journey.”

The warriors let out disappointed sighs, their ears and tails lowering. No one wanted to keep walking but it was for the best.  _ We can’t just give up on finding the others, _ Honeytail thought, though her stomach cramped at the idea of trekking for moons to come. “We’ll head toward the mountains,” Waspwhisker announced. “We should be able to find an easier route around so we won’t have to go through.”

“And if we don’t?” Rabbitleap asked.

“We’ll have to go through them.”

Leafstar lifted her head as the Clan whispered among themselves. “We’ll be fine,” she meowed. “If the other Clans could do it, we can too.”

“Actually-” Cherrytail stepped forward “-I’m not going.”

Cloudmist and Hawkwing’s eyes widened. “What?” the white warrior gasped.

“Why?” Bloomwhisker stared at her mother in shock.

“I didn’t want to mention it yet, because we already had so much to worry about.” Cherrytail stared at her paws for a moment before standing still. “I’m pregnant.” Honeytail blinked and, for the first time, she noticed a swell to Cherrytail’s belly. She probably hadn’t been pregnant long, she was nowhere near as big as Honeytail and Plumwillow.  _ Still, she’s a small cat. She didn’t grow much last time either. _

Leafstar cleared her throat, her tailtip twitched. “Congratulations,” she meowed. “I understand why you’d want to stay. We can send a patrol after you, as well, when we reach the lake.”

“No need.” Cherrytail’s eyes were glassy but she smiled. “I loved being a SkyClan warrior, I was one of the first. I remember the day I met Firestar, vividly, and the day I met Sharpclaw even more so. But . . . now that they’re gone, I don’t think I can continue living in a Clan. I want my kits to grow up as Ravenpaw and Barley did. They need to be safe and happy, with no worries besides hunting.”

Leafstar’s mouth hung open and her ears flattened. “I- well- yes. Okay. The patrol will still meet you here. In case- in case you’ve changed your mind.”

“I’ll stay, too,” Cloudmist announced. “I want to look over Cherrytail and my siblings.”

Leafstar dipped her head to them. “Is that okay with you?” she asked Barley.

“Of course.” The black-and-white tom’s eyes shone. “It’ll be nice to have more cats living here with me.”

Leafstar hopped down and padded up to her old friend, hugging her. “We’ll miss you.”

The Clan crowded around their Clanmate, murmuring their goodbyes. Honeytail rubbed her nose against Cherrytail’s cheek. “I’ll never forget you.”

Cherrytail purred, blinking at her. “I’ll never forget you, either. I’ll never forget any of you.”

Hawkwing and Bloomwhisker said their goodbyes to their family and Honeytail’s heart ached for them. “We’ll come see the kits when we can,” Hawkwing promised, tears in his eyes. Bloomwhisker buried her face into her mother's shoulder fur. The Clan left the barn with a wave of their tails, calling one last goodbye to Cherrytail, Cloudmist, and Barley.

\--------

Honeytail was about to drop. She ached all over and her eyes drooped with fatigue. It had been half a moon since they left Barley’s barn. Since then, both Pebblestorm and Bellaleaf revealed they were pregnant with Hawkwing and Firefern’s kits respectively. Echosong told Honeytail she was only a few days away from kitting. “Try not to stress out, okay?” the medicine cat told her. “Fidgetpaw and I will be right there when you go into labor.”

Honeytail was grateful for her medicine cat but it was hard not to stress with everything that had happened recently. She missed Cherrytail. And Hawkwing and Bloomwhisker missed her and Cloudmist even more.

Finding shelter had been hard for a while but now trees covered them from the hot sun, which was at its peak. Greenleaf was upon them. Not far away, Honeytail heard the sound of a Thunderpath. She’d never seen one before now and she hoped she’d never seen one again. They were loud and smelled horrid. “Let’s stop,” Leafstar meowed. “Here will be a good spot to rest and hunt.” She flicked her tail to Waspwhisker and he nodded, beginning to call some cats toward him.

Leafstar and Echosong curled up together, sharing tongues. The patrols left and Honeytail laid back, licking her stomach. She saw Pebblestorm leaving with Hawkwing, Birdwing, and Curlypaw, her eyes shining as her mate nudged her. Honeytail purred. She wished she could still hunt. Now, her round belly got in the way.

The sun began its course down toward the horizon and the hunting patrols had yet to come back. Honeytail flinched when a cramp in her stomach gripped at her.  _ I must be hungry, _ she told herself, shifting onto her side, where she felt more comfortable. Eating for herself  _ and _ the kits wasn’t easy. She prayed the hunting patrols would come back soon.

The pain only became worse and worse as the day went on. Fallowfern seemed to notice her because she padded over, sniffing at her fur. “Are you okay?” she meowed, her voice slurred. Honeytail shook her head, gasping. “I’ll get Echosong.”

Soon enough, Fallowfern returned with Echosong and Fidgetpaw. Echosong sniffed at her pelt, putting a paw against her stomach. “You’re in labor,” Echosong meowed, flicking her tail to Fallowfern, telling her to leave. Fallowfern gave Honeytail a worried look as she did as she was told, watching from afar. “Fidgetpaw-” the apprentice leaped to their paws, their eyes wide with panic “-try to find some raspberry leaves or fennel and a big stick for her to bite down on.”

Fidgetpaw nodded and they raced off into the forest. “Don’t worry, Honeytail, everything’s going to be okay.”

Giving birth was a blur for Honeytail. All she remembered was the pain that wracked through her and the yowling. Echosong had pressed at her stomach and they both licked the kits. When it was finally over, three kits were born. “Two toms and a she-kit,” Echosong sighed. “The she-kit and one of the toms were stillborn.”

Honeytail stiffened. “What? Stillborn?” She looked at the kits. Only one, an orange-and-white kit with Maxie’s curly fur was breathing and wriggling. The other two were still. Honeytail’s heart ached. The other tom looked just like Maxie, black-and-white with curly fur, and the other was a calico with Honeytail’s sleek fur. Honeytail shook. She couldn’t look at them.

“I’m sorry,” Fidgetpaw murmured. Honeytail couldn’t answer. She only curled up with her kits. She licked the only remaining kit’s head and he squealed in indignation. He shuffled, churning his tiny paws, and nuzzled her stomach, latching onto her and suckling greedily.

Echosong cracked some fennel and pressed it against Honeytail’s lips. “Drink this. It’ll help the pain in your hips.” Honeytail did as she was told, letting the juice trickle into her mouth. “Now get some rest-”

She was cut off when Hawkwing, Curlypaw, and Birdwing padded into camp. Their eyes were dull. “Where’s Pebblestorm?” Waspwhisker asked, his eyes wide.

Hawkwing opened his mouth to speak but choked. “She’s gone,” he rasped.

“What?” Waspwhisker asked, stepping back. “What happened?”

“We saw some weird birds in the back of a monster,” he began, “and she insisted we should try and catch some. She and I hopped in together and we saw a Twoleg coming out. I was able to get out of the monster but- she wasn’t.”

Honeytail’s mouth went dry. The Clan stood in silence. _ Thank StarClan Tinycloud isn’t here. What would she think? _ Echosong padded up to Hawkwing. “Come on, I’ll give you some herbs to help with the grief.” She led him toward the small herb store.

Birdwing caught Honeytail’s eye and her own lit up when she saw the kits. She bounded over to her sister, slowing when she saw the two unmoving kits. Curlypaw was on her heels, her eyes wide. She looked from the kits to Birdwing, then back again, sniffing at them. “Are these my cousins?” she murmured. She didn’t wait for an answer. “What are their names?”

“I think I’m gonna name this one Bunnykit,” Honeytail murmured, pointing to the calico, then the black-and-white kit, “and this one Casperkit.” she stared at her last living kit. She thought that when she finally saw her kits, love would overwhelm her, knocking her off her paws. But as she looked at the orange-and-white tabby, she was only empty. “And Twinekit.”

Curlypaw purred. “I like those names. But what’s Twine and Casper?”

“Hush, dear,” Birdwing whispered to her kit. “Go to Fidgetpaw, they said they needed some help sorting herbs.” Curlypaw pouted but did as she was told, stomping over to her sibling and grumbling. Birdwing watched her go and then turned back to her sister. “Are you okay?” She sniffed at her pelt.

Honeytail couldn’t look at her. “I don’t know,” she murmured. “It’s not as if I know them. Can I really grieve over someone I never even know?”

Birdwing’s eyes rounded. “Let’s bury them,” she meowed. “There’s a big tree nearby that we can bury them under and we can bring Echosong with us to say a few words. I can ask Bellaleaf to care for Twinekit.”

Honeytail nodded and Birdwing went to find the orange-and-white queen. She brought back her and Echosong. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Bellaleaf meowed. Honeytail stood and Twinekit fell over, mewling for his mother. He calmed when Bellaleaf curled around him, licking his head. Honeytail grabbed Casperkit by the scruff.

Birdwing led Echosong and Honeytail toward the big tree, holding Bunnykit in her jaws. They dug up small holes for the kits and they set them inside, scratching dirt back over them. Echosong sat, lowering her head. Honeytail’s eyes stung with tears. Birdwing licked her shoulder to comfort her but it wasn’t helping. They’ll be waiting for you in StarClan.”

Honeytail nodded slowly.

“It’s always hard, losing a kitten,” Echosong meowed, “but they’ll thrive in StarClan. They’ll have mentors and grow and earn their warrior names just like Twinekit.”

Honeytail’s face screwed up. “That’s not fair,” she spat. “Why would StarClan take them away if they’d be just as happy  _ here, _ with me and their brother.”

“StarClan works in mysterious ways,” Echosong murmured. “ _ Nature _ acts in mysterious ways. We die, whether we’re young or we’re old.”

Honeytail choked back a sob, forcing herself not to cry. “Curse StarClan!” she hissed.

Birdwing stiffened, shocked, but Echosong didn’t falter. “I understand how you feel,” she meowed. “It’s okay to be angry. I’ve lost friends and family, too: Billystorm, Sharpclaw, Frecklewish, Cherrytail. We all lose something in our life. The pain hasn’t eased for me, but it will in due time. Let yourself be angry, Honeytail, and let yourself grieve.”

Birdwing leaned over to catch Honeytail’s eye. “When I lost Snipkit, I felt the same way. I haven’t accepted it yet, either, but I know it will pass.” Her sister pressed against her, wrapping her tail around Honeytail’s haunches.

Honeytail’s stiffened, then slumped. Tears spilled over her cheeks and she sobbed, burying her face into Birdwing’s fur.

\--------

Another week had passed since Twinekit was born. Honeytail’s heart still ached with the grief that came with losing a kit but Twinekit was thriving. His eyes had opened since then but he wasn’t able to walk much yet. Curlypaw and Fidgetpaw were excited to play with their cousin but Birdwing had to shoo them away, telling them not to bother them.

Since Twinekit was born, Hawkwing had been quiet. Not only did he lose Pebblestorm, he also lost his unborn kits. Hopefully, they were well, the Can still had hope. Leafstar had promised to send a patrol to search for her once they found the lake. The only cat Hawkwing would talk to was Plumwillow. Honeytail understood: Plumwillow had lost a mate too. She knew his pain more than anyone.

Now they were travelling again. Honeytail, Birdwing, and Bellaleaf took turns carrying Twinekit on the journey. The apprentices weren’t happy about moving again. They complained about being tired and their paws hurting. “ _ All  _ our paws are hurting,” Sagenose, Stormheart, and Birdwing had to tell them over and over and they only mumbled to themselves, quieting for a little while, and then whining again later.

Their mentors kept them busy, however, Echosong and Fidgetpaw had to carry bundles of herbs, essential ones like cobwebs and poppy seeds, and Hawkwing kept his apprentice on her toes, even if he was depressed. Still, that hadn’t stopped them from complaining on occasion

“I’m hungry,” Curlypaw whined, dragging her paws.

“Shush,” Hawkwing meowed sharply. “We’re all hungry.”

Curlypaw pouted before Leafstar stopped. “No, we can stop, I’m hungry too.” She waved her tail as the Clan lay down, letting out sighs of relief as they relaxed and began sharing tongues. “Waspwhisker, Firefern, you two can scout up ahead and tell us what you find. I’ll take care of the hunting patrols.

The deputy and Leafstar’s daughter dipped their heads to their leader before continuing their trek onward. Leafstar sat in the middle of the circle of cats and began sending out patrols. Honeytail lay down with Twinekit, licking his curly fur. He looked around the makeshift camp with his barely open eyes, mewling now and then as his mother groomed him. Twinekit let out another squeak before he started paddling his paws to get to Honeytail’s stomach. Honeytail nudged him toward it and he began nursing.

Leafstar, Stormheart, Rabbitleap, and Blackfire were going on patrol, followed by Hawkwing, Curlypaw, and Solbrook. Fidgetpaw padded toward Honeytail, herbs in their jaws. “Good afternoon,” they meowed, blinking at the queen. “How’re you feeling?”

“Tired,” Honeytail sighed and the apprentice nodded.

“I brought you some borage,” they meowed.

“Perfect timing, my hips are killing me.” Honeytail relaxed as Fidgetpaw put the borage down in front of her. She lapped it up while they cracked the fennel for her to drink.

“Echosong says that’s normal,” Fidgetpaw told her. She lapped at the juices inside the fennel. “Hope you feel better. Echosong will be back later to check on you.”

“Thank you.” Fidgetpaw swept their tail down Twinekit’s back before bounding back to their mentor.

The hunting patrols came home one by one and Stormheart brought Honeytail a rabbit. Honeytail was grateful for her sister’s mate as she sat beside her and licked her shoulder. They ate together, sharing tongues. “How’re you doing?” Stormheart asked.

“I’m . . . okay,” Honeytail murmured, lowering her head. She forced a smile. “Still sad but I’m doing better.”

Stormheart pressed her nose to her cheek. “I understand,” she meowed. “No cat should have to live through losing a kit.” Honeytail remembered how distraught Stormheart had been when Snipkit died. She was acting strong but Honeytail could tell she was still hurting. All three of them were, even Fidgetpaw and Curlypaw.

Honeytail looked down at Twinekit. “I’m worried that he won’t be anything like me.”  _ Or Maxie. _ “He looks like me but . . . I don’t know.”

Stormheart purred and nudged her. “Don't worry, you’ll do great.” She licked her cheek. “I was worried about that too, when my kits were born. I wondered if I would spend enough time with them or if I would be a good mom. Everything will be fine.

Honeytail nodded. “Thanks.”

Their heads perked when Waspwhisker and Firefern rushed into the camp. “Leafstar!” Firefern called. The two bounded over to her mother where she sat with Echosong. “We saw a lake.”

Leafstar blinked. “Were there any clan cats?’ she asked, getting to her paws.

“We don’t know,” Waspwhisker meowed. “We saw no signs of life but we didn’t explore much. But it could have been the one Echosong saw in her dream.”

Leafstar glanced at Echosong. The medicine cat’s green eyes were round. “We should look,” she meowed. “You never know.”

Leafstar looked thoughtful before she nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”

Honeytail picked Twinekit up, who squeaked. Stormheart walked alongside her, their pelts brushing together. The land sloped down as they made their way to the lake. The territory was filled with vegetation, long grass, lots of flowers and trees. Honeytail didn’t like it. It was as if it all crowded around her, cramping her in. She tried not to focus on it.

They found a hollow in the earth where they all rested. “Waspwhisker, Blackfire, Sagenose, and Firefern, you four can look around to see if the territory is suitable for us. Look for anything that might be dangerous or any Twolegs that might be living around.” The four warriors nodded.

“I’ll come with,” Echosong meowed. “I want to see what kind of herbs grow around here.”

“Very well. Stay safe.” Leafstar watched her warriors and mate go.

Honeytail found Birdwing and sat beside her, putting Twinekit between her paws. Birdwing stared off into the forest, her eyes wide. “Is this the place you want your kit to grow up?” she asked, not even looking at her sister.

Honeytail shrugged. “It seems fine. I don’t like it much but if it’s the best we’ve got I don’t have much say in it. Why?”

Birdwing shuddered visibly. “I’m just worried. This place feels wrong to me.” Honeytail didn’t tilt her head but didn’t press her.

The Clan began clearing out the hollow of sticks and leaves, making nests for their Clanmates. Honeytail helped make a few of the nests while Bellaleaf took care of Twinekit, who was napping. The sun was beginning to set when Echosong and the others came home. Echosong muttered to herself under her breath and shook her head.

Leafstar padded over to greet her mate. Her eyes rounded. “Are you okay?”

“This isn’t where we’re supposed to be,” Echosong meowed, her voice firm.

The Clan erupted in shocked murmurs and gasps. Honeytail shared a glance with Rabbitleap.

“What do you mean?” Leafstar asked.

“I don’t know why but this isn’t where StarClan intended us to stay.” Echosong’s fur ruffled. “We have to leave.”

“Bellaleaf and Plumwillow are too far into their pregnancies to keep walking,” Sagenose spoke up.

Honeytail looked over to Bellaleaf, who was sitting with Firefern. The queen shrugged. “I don’t mind travelling more, if Echosong thinks it’s for the best,” she meowed.

All eyes turned to Plumwillow, who was leaning into Hawkwing. She looked nervous. “I want to stay,” she meowed. “I don’t want my kits to have to grow up walking for moons. I want them to be SkyClan cats, not loners.”

“Then it’s decided,” Leafstar meowed. “We’re staying here.”

Echosong’s eyes blazed but she didn’t argue. She only lowered her head, her tail flicking back and forth. Leafstar pressed her nose to Echosong’s ear but the medicine cat pulled away, stomping out of camp. Leafstar watched her go with worry in her eyes. Honeytail had to agree with Plumwillow. Twinekit was meant to be in a Clan.

\--------

Five sunrises had passed since SkyClan decided to stay near the lake. Twinekit’s eyes were fully open now and he started waddling more, enjoying the company of Curlypaw and Fidgetpaw but he still said little to nothing. Echosong had said it might take some time for him to stop squeaking and mewling and instead start being able to form full words.

Plumwillow was growing by the day, ready to kit anytime now and, since then, she and Hawkwing had announced they were mates. Honeytail was glad they were doing better. Honeytail’s ears perked when a shout distracted her from cleaning the camp with Rabbitleap and Blackfire.

Leafstar and Echosong stomped out of their den, arguing, their tails lashing. Honeytail had never seen them argue this much. “I’ve had another vision and you’re ignoring it?” Echosong hissed, unsheathing her claws. “You’re not just ignoring me, you’re ignoring the word of StarClan!”

“We’re not leaving until Plumwillow and her kits are ready,” Leafstar meowed firmly and Echosong rolled her eyes.

“Fine,” she sniffed. She dug her claws into the earth, staring Leafstar in the eye. She looked as if she was hesitating. “I’m leaving.”

Leafstar’s angry demeanor faded into hurt and confusion. Her ears lowered. “You don’t mean that,” she murmured, her voice shaking.

“I do.” Echosong trembled. Unless you’re willing to take action.”

Fidgetpaw rushed up to their mentor. “You can’t leave!” they mewed. “Who’ll continue mentoring me?” His yellow eyes were glassy with tears.

Echosong gave them a look. Her eyes were dull with exhaustion. “I’m sorry,” she meowed. “But I have to go. I have to find the Clans.”

Honeytail jolted when a shout sounded behind her. She turned to see Plumwillow, her breathing heavy, crouching beside the nursery. “I think I’m kitting,” she panted.

Echosong’s eyes widened. “Go into the nursery,” she ordered, cutting her way across camp to her medicine store. She grabbed a stick and what looked to be raspberry leaves. Honeytail remembered them from when she was kitting. Plumwillow waddled into the nursery, a pained expression on her face. Hawkwing was about to follow when Echosong stepped in front of him. “You should stay.” She flicked her tail to Fidgetpaw, who scrambled inside.

Honeytail watched the nursery, anxiety clutching her. She paced back and forth in front of the nursery. These were  _ Sandynose’s _ kits, her niblings. What would happen if they were stillborn, like Casperkit and Bunnykit? Honeytail took a deep breath, trying to push that thought away.

The sun reached its peak before Echosong and Fidgetpaw padded out of the den. “Three kits were born,” Echosong meowed. Hawkwing’s eyes shined. “There were some complications, but they’re all alive and well.”

“Can we see them?” Hawkwing asked, stepping forward.

“You can-” Echosong nodded to the father “-but everyone else should probably wait until tomorrow.” She glanced at Leafstar, her eyes narrowing. “I’m leaving. Fidgetpaw can care for the kits.” Fidgetpaw lowered their head, their eyes glassy. “Maybe our paths will cross again.” She stared at Leafstar with wide eyes, as if wanting to say more but she stayed silent.

Tears spilled down Leafstar’s face but she continued to glare at her mate. “Leave, then.”

The Clan watched as Echosong padded out of camp, her tail dragging.


End file.
